


A Man Chooses

by Akzeal, DinobotLoki



Category: BioShock, BioShock Infinite, Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Capitalism, Crossover, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Eugenics, F/M, Gen, Humans are Scary, Little Fishies, Megatron is Disturbed, Mental Health Issues, Mouth of Hell, Multi, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Soul-Searching, There's Something in the Sea, Underwater, why
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-07-24 02:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 58,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7490256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akzeal/pseuds/Akzeal, https://archiveofourown.org/users/DinobotLoki/pseuds/DinobotLoki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Megatron has been mapping the ocean since he got there. After finally reaching the area around Iceland, he finds a city that should never exist. Disturbed, he asks for help. From the Autobots. They're about to understand humans in ways they never thought they would.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. We All Make Choices

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to what happens when joke ideas become reality.

There was something about Megatron’s optics that made Optimus pause the moment he pressed the button to take the Decepticon leader’s private message. It wasn’t the first time that Megatron had contacted him- no, they’d asked each other for small cease fires at other times, and holidays were often requested as times, small times, for peace. It was, however, the first time Megatron looked… haunted. No, actually, _disturbed_ was a better word to use. 

“Megatron?” Optimus asked, when Megatron didn’t speak for nearly two full breems. The Decepticon visibly swallowed, frame tenser than normal. “I highly doubt that it’s the case, but if this is your idea of a joke, Megatron, it’s not a good one.” He didn’t _like_ this. 

Megatron _jerked_ , and shook his head. “It most certainly- Ugh! Rumble!” Megatron backed up and to one side, revealing the smaller mech standing just behind him. Unusually, Soundwave was holding Rumble’s shoulder, and the Cassette looked even _more_ disturbed than Megatron did, if possible.

“Ah, Opti- Pri- oh, slaggit!” Rumble muttered, looking up at Soundwave. Soundwave nodded at him, and Rumble cycled his vents before speaking again. “Ya ever hear of a city at th’ bottom of th’ ocean? ...A squishy city…”

Optimus frowned under his face mask. Megatron was acting strange, strange enough that it made Optimus uneasy. He couldn’t imagine this being the start to some new plot, though Megatron had been strange about that at times. The question itself was… somehow even stranger. “The humans have ancient tales of such a city, Atlantis, you mean?” he asked. There was no harm in giving the name when any cursory trip to a human library would get them that much. But Megatron’s frown only deepened, and Rumble shook his head.

“Nah, we know about that. I mean somethin’ newer,” the Cassette said. He shifted nervously, and Optimus wondered, again, if this was just a very slag ridden joke. But he did think for a half of a breem on it. Human cities under the ocean…? 

“Some human years ago, one of the ones we worked with had rumors and files of a city being built at sea, a ‘hidden’ one, or some such. Why? What are you plotting, Megatron? I know you take me for a fool, but I’m not-” Optimus was cut off by Megatron slamming a fist against the consol. 

“I would never touch this disgusting _thing_ with a pole the length of Unicron himself, Prime!” Megatron snapped, looking decidedly ill. 

“Boss…” Rumble said, leaning a little towards Megatron. Soundwave pulled him back, and Rumble frowned. “Well. I don’t blame him… Ya don’t know, Prime, but it ain’t no rumor. Thing’s real, an- well. I ain’t goin’ in there again. _Ain’t_! But… Frenzy might. An’ Reflector. Bu’ this… this is your sorta thing…”

Optimus frowned, looking at the Decepticons for a moment. He’d never heard, or heard _of_ , the cassettes outright refusing to do something. For that matter, he never had really seen Soundwave acting quite like this with one of the cassettes, and Megatron had been outright _disgusted_ with his statement…

“...I’m willing to call a truce for this. Until that place is _dealt with_ ,” Megatron growled, looking somewhat less insulted.

Megatron? Calling a truce because of a human city? Optimus’ frown under his mask deepened. “Dealt with,” he repeated, confused. “Humans deal with human cities, Megatron. I can alert-” 

“I don’t think you understand, Optimus,” Megatron cut in. “This is not something… this is _not_ something this species is equipped to handle, not their governments. I may not care for the blasted creatures as you do, but even I can recognize that they have their charms and graces. This is not one of those times.” 

Optics went wide, because this call was getting to be a whole train of firsts for the Prime. “What is it that you want me to do, then, Megatron? So far all I’m hearing is that a city exists at ‘the bottom of the ocean’ and it’s obviously upset you. If you want this truce, I need more information!” 

“Well I was gettin’ to that, until you interrupted!” Rumble yelled. He glared a bit, including at Megatron, and cycled his vents when there was silence. “There’s… people, I guess, still down there. Less now… They saw me and came after me with rockets!” Now Rumble glared at Optimus, clearly not at all willing to be interrupted about how he should have handled the humans. “...Anyway. I…”

“...He had to be played to get more last time,” Megatron said, when Rumble was silent for longer. “It’s mostly… screaming. Everyone’s addicted to _something_. And they make Vortex look sane! ...Sound sane. Look, Prime, if you don’t do something about this, I will. It will involve enough fusion weaponry to melt a hole in the crust.”

“That still doesn’t answer- or, okay. What are they… doing to you, then?” Optimus was shocked at the idea of humans that were more off the rails than Vortex, though he had never thought of Vortex as actually insane in the first place. “You know we don’t kill humans, Megatron. And I can’t imagine them as being strong enough to harm any of you, rockets included… I want to help, we _need_ to help, obviously, but I’m… I’m honestly uncertain of this. Especially about not informing the human governments.” 

Megatron frowned again. “Look, Prime, trust me. This is not- it’s-” he stopped, sighed, then glanced at Soundwave, before gritting his derma. “...Prime. What if I offer to allow this truce for an extra… month- _three_ months, after this is taken care of? Would you then keep this on a need-to-know basis? You cannot understand until you see this for yourself. It is not something that I ask lightly!” 

Optimus raised his hands, and nodded just a little. “Okay, okay- look. I’ll… I’ll send some people down to look, okay? Give me a truce that long, I won’t tell the human governments until that’s done, and… once I have more information, I can make a better decision. I’ll keep you informed- I’ll even work alongside your mechs, if you wish. But I cannot agree with everything you’ve asked without more information!”

“You _have_ your truce. Where do you want- I’ll have to see who’s willing…” Megatron still looked disturbed, and _relieved_ , and genuinely concerned about who he had who would be _willing_ , which was odd. Decepticons had never had that much of a problem working with Autobots in the past, which… said things.

“I will speak to Spike and Carly,” Optimus said. When Megatron looked like he was going to argue, he added, “They will not speak of this beyond us, and can procure research far easier. It’s not as though any of my Autobots have library cards, Megatron, or access to the record halls, easily.” 

“Where do you want to meet? We can host anyone going down there on the _Nemesis_ , or anywhere, at this point I don’t care as long as it takes care of this problem.” Megatron looked at Soundwave again, and then down at Rumble, where his face actually softened for a split click, before it was back to normal. 

Megatron _never_ volunteered to have Autobots on the _Nemesis_ , unless the brig counted. Optimus couldn’t keep the surprise off his face. “Give me… a day. The best meeting place is probably that beach, where we have before. ...And… if you’re willing to host… I suppose I can send down some energon as well…” Megatron’s expression did _not_ turn triumphant, and he only nodded.

“A day. Standard truce is in effect,” Megatron said, and he waited for Optimus to nod before closing the line and leaving the Prime to his thoughts.

Optimus wasn’t alone for long. He called a command meeting, with the unusual addition of Spike and Carly, and was pleased that Teletraan auto-recorded messages such as this. It was a slow, warm day in August, everyone he wanted at the meeting was within five miles of the base, and before another two breems had passed, everyone was sitting at or on the conference-room table.

He played through the recording, watching the way his mechs’ faces changed, and also realizing that he himself could see difference. It was odd to look back and see the things he’d missed the first time- Megatron shifting as though he had something wrong with his armor, and Rumble looking lost, so very lost. Even Soundwave, with his mask and visor, somehow managed to have the look of disgust and illness. 

“That’s… okay. I mean, a city at the bottom of the ocean?” Carly said, when the recording ended, before anyone else spoke up. “We can look into it, Chip might know more. I do remember reading something in a paper once, but that was… wow, I was probably a kid.” 

“Dad might know something,” Spike added. “He’s been working out in the middle of the ocean since he was a teenager. Maybe he would know?” 

Optimus nodded, aware that neither Chip nor Sparkplug would say anything indiscreet, and both might help quite a lot. He was more concerned by the fact that Carly knew _anything_ from the small amount of information Megatron had given!

“Going to be hard gettin’ mechs down there…” Jazz observed, frowning at the now-blank screen. “Bumblebee, maybe. I… might ask Blaster…” Optimus wasn’t sure how well that would work, though, if any of Soundwave’s cassettes were going to be down there. He didn’t say anything against Jazz’s idea, though, willing to leave that up to Blaster and Jazz.

“We will also have to decide who is in charge down there. Megatron seems willing to defer, oddly enough, and it is highly unlikely that comms will work from that distance. I will list suggestions, and finalize it when the full… scouting party is decided on, between us,” Prowl said, frowning.

“Anyone going into the city will need to be pretty small, from what I gathered of Megatron’s words. But we don’t even know if this is a city that’s above ground, or with places humans can breath...” 

Carly shook her head. “No, we can tell that one- human projectile weapons don’t do well under water. To get shot at by rockets, Rumble would’ve had to be in a place where they could actually fired.” 

“If anyone built a city under water, they’d probably take ideas from aquariums and stuff,” Spike said as well. “And as for volunteers, you know that we do. I mean, this _is_ a human thing. We should be the ones going, even if Megatron doesn’t seem to like that idea.” He leaned back, then stood, Carly following suit. “While you guys decide stuff, we’ll get that research. If we only have a day, then we need to get cracking on it.” 

“I’m not expecting anyone to go down after this day,” Optimus said, still startled by how… serious the humans were taking this.

“Still, the faster we get started, the more information you’ll have,” Spike said, waving as he left.

Optimus waved back, then turned to his crew. Making plans, even tentative ones, without adequate information was an exercise in frustration, but by the end of the day they had some ideas for what they could do, and felt as ready as could be expected. The last thing Optimus was anticipating was for Spike and Carly to walk in, Spike with Sparkplug and Carly with a stack of papers a few inches thick.

“Hey, Optimus,” Sparkplug greeted. “Spike told me about the new mission. You guys okay?” 

“We are fine, but Megatron seems quite upset. It’s strange to see.” Optimus smiled under his face mask. He was happy to see the human, even if Sparkplug looked decidedly aged since the last time he’d seen the human. 

“Yeah, heard about that. I’m pretty surprised. I mean, it’s been twenty years since I heard about that place, even rumors and whispers of it. I never did think it was a good idea.” Sparkplug shrugged, then went to help Spike and Carly feed papers into Teletraan, so that the Autobots could read the enlarged print easier. 

“So… this place is… real? How… How did humans build a city under the ocean? Let alone many of your years ago?” Optimus asked, optics flickering a little. It was a stupid thing to get stuck on, since if the city was real, it was far more likely that Megatron’s worries were founded, but Optimus just… couldn’t work out how it could be real.

“I dunno. Got offered the job… twenty-thirty years ago, but it never seemed like a good idea. When none of the people who’d taken the job returned, I figured I was right- not that I had any details. It was just a job building something in the middle of the ocean, with a salary to buy almost anyone,” Sparkplug answered, still feeding papers into Teletraan. “Salary too high… spooked me, so I took something else, met Spike’s mother, the rest is history!”

The Prime frowned. “Went missing? Did no human authorities see into such things?” he asked. 

Sparkplug shook his head. “Most of them didn’t have families, and it’s a risk for some jobs, especially ones in the middle of nowhere.” When Optimus did look upset, and was uncertain of what to say, the human continued, “More important now is that I can’t believe Megatron found the place.” 

“Yeah, we had to ask Chip to do some hacking to get us some of the information. This stuff was top secret,” Spike said. “Seems that our government thought the place was completely destroyed some ten years ago, or so.”

“Megatron has been mapping the ocean floor since they landed down there,” Jazz said, shrugging. “Think it might be more of a surprise that it took him this long.” He was already looking through the papers on one of Teletraan’s smaller screens. “Off the coast of Iceland, hm? So, lay it on me. What we got?”

Carly shrugged, and held up one of the papers before feeding it in. “Not much. Some missing persons reports from the coasts, actually going right up to last year. All young girls…” She frowned, then shook her head. “Some stories of a plane crash, not many survivors there. Not much, really. ...Not enough to spook Megatron, since he doesn’t care about humans.”

“Then it must be something else that has him wigged out,” Jazz said. “But why would little girls be made missing, or kidnapped, if that’s what you’re implying?” 

“That’s the thing, no one knows. Some of the missing girls were said to have come back, but they didn’t say where they’d been. It’s all we could find in the area, but we have no clue if the two things are connected at all.” Spike finished his little stack, snagging part of Carly’s to continue, and in only another minute they were done, and Teletraan was compiling and enlarging things for Jazz to skim. 

Sparkplug shook his head. “Megatron is meeting you tomorrow morning, right?” he asked. It was already late in the night, despite how quickly Spike and Carly had started to grab for information. 

“He is,” Optimus said. “And I don’t want anyone but those needed in the vicinity.” 

Sparkplug sighed, but nodded. “Okay. I’ll stay away. I assume the kids are going, though. You’ll keep me updated, right?”

“Well, we… I guess ‘want’ to go isn’t the right word. But we have to, don’t we?” Carly answered, shrugging a little. “This is a human thing, and we can’t ask the mechs to go alone. Especially since so few of them are, er… small enough…”

Optimus chuckled a little. Their size had, rather surprisingly, not been that much of an issue before. Now it was… and it was probably overdue. “Your help would be… valuable, at least for the initial scouting run. And… perhaps it’s foolish, but I think the Decepticons won’t be a danger to you, in this situation.”

“Nah. We saw the way Megatron looked in that conversation. If ages of war can’t make him look like that, but something we humans did can, it’s definitely something special.” Carly shook her head, yawning. 

“You should get some rest before we do this, then,” Jazz said, looking up from what he was going over. “You both should, in case this does go sour and you have to get out of there suddenly. Tired humans aren’t good for that.” 

Spike yawned as well, then winced. “You’re probably right. We can get a little sleep and be good as new for tomorrow, no problem.” 

“Ah, youth,” Sparkplug joked as they left. “Now, since I’m not going anywhere, and _you_ don’t have to sleep, how about I stay here and answer any questions you have?”

Sparkplug had a point, and both Jazz and Optimus agreed with it, though Optimus left the questions to Jazz and Prowl for most of the night. After a bit, Ratchet got involved, discussing the apparent addictions and the feasibility of some of the rumors. Optimus just hoped that Rumble was at the meeting, and willing to answer some more, gentle, questions.

The next morning, after Spike and Carly were ready, they went to the meeting point. Aside from the humans, Jazz was planning to see if he was small enough to fit in the city, as was Bumblebee. Prowl was going to go down to the _Nemesis_ , with First Aid, as a medic who knew more about _human_ systems. Ironhide would go with them, because while they didn’t _expect_ Megatron to go back on his word, they weren’t stupid. And of course, Optimus was waiting too.

Megatron arrived soon after they did, Soundwave next to him, all carried by Astrotrain. They looked much better than before, though there was still an air of illness about them. “Prime,” Megatron said. “I see you brought your… humans.” 

“They are our allies, Megatron, and they have provided us with a great deal of information…” Optimus trailed off, glancing down at the humans in question. Carly crossed her arms.

“And it is a human mess, isn’t it? Then we should clean it up.” She frowned. “And we’re the smallest. Of course we should go.” 

Megatron huffed, then nodded. “I thought he would do that. I told him not to, but… I’m sure you can guess how much Optimus would listen to me.” He was faintly accusatory, not exactly angry, and overall it was the friendliest he’d ever been towards humans, Optimus thought. Especially when Megatron grinned a moment later, adding, “I suppose it is just as well that I spent some time cleaning out one of the cassette’s areas. Or seeing to that, at least.”

Astrotrain, still in alternate mode, laughed at that, and Carly finally shrugged. “Um. Yes? I guess it is…”

“We’ll be going down at least to the _Nemesis_ , base camp, or whatever,” Jazz said, motioning to himself and the others. 

“And, we’d appreciate it if you’d be willing to send a few of your troops here, as a show of goodwill,” Optimus said. “Just until this is taken care of.” 

“You’re smarter than you look, Prime,” Megatron said, and was that approval in his voice and stance? Optimus found he _liked_ it. “It’s a wise idea to hold hostages-” 

“We would not treat them as hostages!” Optimus sputtered, all of that ‘liking’ gone in a flash and replaced by indignation. 

Megatron chortled. “The Stunticons,” he said. 

“Pardon?” Ironhide asked, frowning and looking confused. 

“We’ll leave you with the Stunticons,” Megatron answered. “They are one of my stronger teams. Would this be fair to you, Prime?” 

They _were_ a strong team, Optimus couldn’t deny that. They were also the only ones who were cars, and the poorest _functioning_ team Megatron had. Optimus looked at Megatron for a moment, then nodded. “I suppose so. ...Do be sure that Motormaster understands that attacking me _will_ be met with retribution?”

“Of course!” Megatron agreed. “They should be here soon enough, if they’re leaving now… Were you coming down, Optimus? At least long enough to discuss whatever you and your pet humans may have found?”

“Why not do that here, Megatron?” Optimus answered, aware that Spike and Carly would be amused more than insulted. “Then your team won’t have to… hurry as much.”

Soundwave was the one to answer. “Decepticons: unable to show maps, in this location. Seating: also inadequate. Basics: can be given.” 

“You found a city that should have never existed,” Spike said. “Those hired for building were never seen again after they left.” 

“It was built twenty or thirty years ago, depending on who you ask. Some of what we found called the place the Mouth of Hell. The main point is that whatever is down there, those people either haven’t seen the light of day in no less than twenty years, or, not at all.” Carly shivered, then pat Bumblebee’s hip, as the mech was the closest to her. 

“Rumble; reported children,” Soundwave confirmed.

Megatron nodded a little, not quite looking at anyone. “So we… agree on the basics. Yes, and this city should _not_ exist. It should not still be inhabited. It should not be functional. Did you bring weaponry? As little as I am sure you wish to use it, I will not be letting you rely on _my_ mechs for protection.”

“Some,” Carly said, gesturing to one of the crates next to them, that they had brought. “We were thinking Bumblebee and Jazz could come with us. Will they fit?” 

“The yellow one, maybe, but your spymaster- I don’t believe so. He could try.” Megatron looked thoughtful. “We have weapons you may be able to use.” 

For a long moment, Optimus was silent. But the fact that Megatron seemed like he cared was… again, it was odd, but endearing in strange ways. “If it comes to that,” he agreed. Sparkplug had given them some undersea equipment. The man was currently searching for other things, as well, but he’d not said what. 

Spike and Carly were still staring at Megatron when they heard the sounds of jets. Looking up revealed forms which were truly never meant to fly, and the Stunticons landed soon after, politely away from the mixed-faction group. They even put on a pretty good show of nonchalance, and Optimus saw no reason to comment on the way Motormaster tensed.

“So we’re supposed to stay with you because scraplets got spooked?” Motormaster growled. “Guess we can’t complain. Hear ya got hot water, anyway…” He knew, it seemed, that living with the Autobots wouldn’t be that bad of an existence, and Optimus didn’t really care what the other truck did to feel comfortable, as long as no-one got hurt.

“We do. You can have a shower as soon as my medic, ah, makes sure you’re not bringing in anything inordinately dangerous,” Optimus agreed. 

Megatron stared at him, then shrugged as well. “Motormaster will behave himself and remember to give command of his team, at… your disposal,” the Decepticon leader said. It was a way to make peace, completely political, in many ways. 

“You need some respect, mechlin’,” Ironhide said, directing it at Motormaster. “I outa send ‘Streaker in my stead and stay to teach you a thing or two about manners an’ grow you up.” He crossed his arms and glared at the mech, optics daring him to speak out again. With a sigh, Optimus sent a comm message to Red Alert, telling him to send Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Already, he could see Ironhide’s threat as a real possibility. 

“Oh, feel free,” Megatron said, before Motormaster could do more than growl. The growl got cut off, and Motormaster gave him a bit of a betrayed glare, but Megatron didn’t seem to care. Optimus decided then that sending the Twins out here was probably the best of ideas.

Before things got too out of hand, which probably meant staring at each other and grumbling, Soundwave spoke again. “Basics; all covered? Safeguards; in place?” He seemed… almost _impatient_ , which was entirely ridiculous.

“We’re waiting for the Twins, now, since Ironhide pointed out we need _someone_ to see the Stunticons safely to base,” Optimus answered. He wasn’t entirely surprised when Bumblebee went to alt mode and opened a door for Carly and Spike.

Motormaster scoffed, but simply stayed back, letting Breakdown hide behind him. There was silence for a long moment, completely awkward, and then the sound of incoming racers. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker transformed, but simply filed near Jazz, wordlessly. Even they knew that this was a delicate situation. And, Optimus was willing to bet, they wanted to increase their strange fascination of Seekers.

“Ready now, then?” Astrotrain grumbled, transforming so they could use him to reach the _Nemesis_. It was the easiest way. 

“Yes,” Optimus agreed, following behind Bumblebee, and flanked by the Twins and Jazz. Megatron was in front, and Soundwave waited until they were comfortable before trailing behind. Prowl and First Aid went last, with the medic nervously regarding Ironhide being left with the Stunticons. 

Ironhide waved cheerily as the door closed, and then Astrotrain took off. He wasn’t quite as smooth as Skyfire, but Optimus would never admit that to anyone.


	2. Is A Man Not Entitled?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The good stuff comes soon, promise!

This _was_ the first time they’d ever been actually _invited_ to the _Nemesis_ , and it was truly interesting. The needle was already up, and open, and Astrotrain landed on the platform with only a little jostling.

Everyone filed out of the shuttle, and Megatron paused, looking down at the humans. “We are used to small...beings on the ship. You may feel more comfortable if you are carried, however.” He waited, and then Jazz shrugged, offering a hand.

“Um… thank you…” Spike muttered, climbing into the hand. Jazz wasn’t large enough to hold them that well, but they were able to cling onto the mech’s shoulders, and everyone seemed happy enough.

“Yeah, thanks,” Bumblebee added, looking at Megatron with confusion- but also some gratitude. He looked up at his human friends and smiled, sticking close to Jazz. 

For this being the first time they’d been invited to the Decepticon ship, it was also the first time they were able to study it. Prowl was already making as many notes of details as he could, Optimus could see it in his flickering door wings. 

“We’ve set up a small meeting room for you, and quarters. ...I don’t know how long this will take, but we wanted to be prepared.” Megatron frowned, obviously unhappy in his own unknowing about the entire thing. 

“Thank you, Megatron,” Optimus said. And he meant it. The Decepticon leader had to have taken a blow to his pride to demand their help, and further, he was trying to make them comfortable. This was becoming less and less of a possible plot or strange plan. 

They went to the meeting room, and it was very clear that this _wasn’t_ Megatron’s normal room. It was smaller, built much closer to Autobot sizes, with only a few chairs which were larger. Starscream was already sitting in one, and Megatron went to another, waving his hand for his visitors to chose their own. There were even a few very small seats, for cassettes or for humans- it hadn’t been built, per se, Optimus realized as he got a closer look at the seating. Things had been shifted, the _Nemesis_ originally built for various sizes… which made sense.

“Wow! This is, ah, nice. Um…” Spike looked around before climbing from Jazz to one of the smallest seats, Carly with him. Jazz took the seat next to him, looking quite relaxed.

“Yeah, thanks, uh, Megatron,” Carly echoed, smiling carefully at the Decepticon leader. It reminded Optimus that he’d mentioned they should try to see about using this for talks about peace. It seemed like she was already trying to feel the Decepticons out. 

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker shared a look before flanking Starscream, to the Seeker’s absolute howl, “If you two so much as look at me weird, I’ll-” 

“Chill out, Starscream. We’re gonna be on our best behavior, right Sunshine?” Sideswipe grinned. 

“Well, I’ll be. My brother here has all of the manners of a wayward goat,” Sunstreaker added, smirking. 

“Both of you, stop it,” Jazz scolded. “We are going to be polite, and this is serious business.” They immediately clipped their mouths shut- Jazz scolding was a lot more serious than anyone else, considering how he was. 

With everyone more-or-less settled, Optimus started things off. They were the guests, after all, though they were also the ones who would be ‘dealing’ with this… thing. “Here. This is what we have on this city so far. We’ll be getting more soon, I’m sure, aside from what’s, ah, directly discovered…” He handed Megatron a data-chip, and Megatron immediately handed it to Soundwave, who inserted it without hesitation.

“You know more about the history of this place, then,” Megatron admitted easily. “Here’s what we’ve found…” The table lit up, with topological maps, and an insert of the city. “Mapping the city itself was… not high on our list of priorities,” he added. “What originally drew us was this crevice, here, and the… very odd energy signal from it.”

“A deep sea rift,” Spike said, standing from his seat and climbing to the tabletop. “It’s the reason the place was built there, I bet.” He crouched, tracing one of the parts of the map with a hand. 

“That could be Hephaestus, then,” Carly said. At the confusion of the Decepticons, she continued, “Some of the documents we found spoke of the middle of the hidden city being called Hephaestus, after the god of the forge. It’s said that builders used the energy from the rift to power the city. But we couldn’t find anything more than that. Obviously, it's not the middle, actually.” 

“Did you find out why this crazy place was built in the first place?” Starscream asked, frowning. 

“Some wacko business tycoon, last name of ‘Ryan,’ wanted to build a utopia. He disappeared about the time a lot of people did. We have a list of names a three yards long. Minimum.” Spike shook his head, frowning. “That’s all we could find, and none of it is concrete. If it was him, he didn’t want anyone to know what he was doing down there.” 

“Hah! ‘Utopia’! He failed pretty hard on that one…” Starscream laughed, the sound raw.

Silently, Soundwave ejected a couple cassettes before removing the data-chip Optimus had given him and putting it in the table. The cassettes turned out to be Frenzy and Rumble, which wasn’t that much of a surprise. “Yeah, Ryan. Saw his name down there. … Saw other names too, like Lamb, and Cohen, and Atlas. And weird signs about Daddies and sisters an… well. That was the sane part…” Rumble said, hand in hand with Frenzy.

“I think I recognize Cohen,” Spike commented. “But you lost me with the rest. Um…” He seemed to be thinking of saying more, but fell silent, and Optimus wondered what he may have said.

“Did we not just call him a wacko?” Carly added with a snort. “We don’t know anything about ‘daddies’ or ‘sisters,’ though. There wasn’t anything about what’s really inside the city, other than that thing about Hephaestus.” 

Prowl cleared his vocalizer. “What was the insane part?” he asked. 

“Rockets! And the _screaming_ ,” Rumble said. “It… it was so much screaming. And the howls. I’ve never seen anything like it.” 

“...I’m gonna say it,” Frenzy said, before turning towards the Autobots. “...So. It’s, you know. Close in there. And with Rumble- well. I see things, we see things- They don’t ‘zactly look… human, no more.”

“So what about… actually going in there?” Bumblebee asked, shifting. “All this is… well, it’s not that… important, is it? Not as far as going in and looking- unless we’re looking for specific things. ...Er, well, I guess his info is good for that…” He motioned at Frenzy, then frowned, and Optimus was fairly sure that the young mech was only now starting to _think_ about what he’d agreed to.

“He has a point. What information would you give to infiltrators? Let’s cover that now, and the rest can be covered by the ones who stay here,” Jazz agreed.

“Honestly?” Rumble asked, face twisting into a look of disgust. “I’m not entirely certain. There were drugs, though. I ran into one of their strange stations before the humans found me. I was attacked before I could get much information though. I’d say the best thing was keeping quiet as long as possible.” 

Frenzy nodded. “I didn’t go in, but man, what I saw outside the glass? Things are crazy in there. I’m just glad Soundwave was there to pull my bro’ out…” 

Soundwave… wasn’t known for acting unless he had to, even with the cassettes. Optimus nodded a little, and resisted the sudden urge to try petting Rumble. It wouldn’t go over well, he knew. “How would they reach this city? My mechs _can_ function underwater, but it’s not ideal, and Spike and Carly can’t. For that matter, who’s going? Bumblebee, and I believe Jazz will try, and the humans, on my side…” Blaster had utterly refused to put his cassettes in danger, and grimaced when he heard that Soundwave may be letting Frenzy go in.

“Astrotrain, most likely. He can hold air against pressure, and is actually rather amused by humans,” Megatron answered, with a little shrug. “Jazz can keep him company, if nothing else. Reflector wants to go, they’re only a little bigger than your scout, and willing to stay in alt form anyway.” He then turned to Spike and Carly, and actually _grinned_. “I hope you’re willing to have photography lessons.”

“I wanna go- well. No. I don’t. But I think I… should?” Frenzy added, wrapping his arms around him. “...Bro an’ I are the only ones… we know can fit everywhere the squ- humans can.”

“I don’t want to go either, but I don’t want my bro to go without me,” Rumble said, glancing away. 

Carly frowned. “We could go alone,” she said. “You two don’t have to go. I can carry Reflector, and ‘Bee can come until he can’t fit, if needed. Jazz can stay near Astrotrain.” 

“Yeah,” Spike added. “We wouldn’t hold it against you, of course. Especially if it’s as crazy as you say it is.” 

Both cassettes shook their heads, Rumble speaking. “Pit no. Did you miss the part where I was attacked with _rockets_? You’d go squish inside a breem! An’ then the Autobots would be mad, and we’d have to fight them _and_ bomb that city!”

“So, I ain’t lettin’ that happen, and… bro?” Frenzy turned away from the human pair, and all Optimus could really see was the two mechs staring at each other, Rumble biting as his derma.

“I… I really don’t wanna, but… But I know what’s there…” Rumble muttered. Optimus kept waiting for Soundwave to interject something, but the communications officer was still, until Rumble shrugged. “Well, I guess I gotta. Sorry, Boss.” Soundwave nodded, once, and Optimus wondered, not for the first time, just what had happened between the cassettes and their host.

“We would not attack you for this,” Optimus rumbled, though he could, easily, see that the decision had been made, and let it go. 

Jazz nodded. “The real question here is if there is anyone down there that can be saved. Did either of you see anyone?” 

“You ever seen a human zombie movie? It’s a lot like that, ‘cept they ain’t obviously dead. They just… they all had masks, but I could tell they weren’t human looking anymore. It wasn’t right.” Rumble shivered again, and Optimus once more wanted to reach out and offer comfort. 

“So… we’ll look for what got them that way, so we know how… to not get that way here, I guess? And otherwise, just… well. Okay.” Carly shrugged, and was hugging herself, a strange mirror to Frenzy.

“Perhaps the, ah, scouting party should get acquainted, then,” Megatron suggested. “They can show you around- It hardly matters, but I think you may be more comfortable leaving in time to arrive at the city’s likely local day? That would be a joor- ah. About six or seven hours, I believe.”

Spike looked at Bumblebee, who shrugged. “I guess? If there’s nothing more for you to tell us,” Bumblebee agreed.

“While they do that, might I have a private word with you, Megatron? I believe both of our command troops here can take care of themselves,” Optimus said. Prowl had already gotten word, Ironhide back at the Ark with the Stunticons in tow. 

First Aid finally spoke up, voice fairly small. “I can make myself useful in the med bay,” he said. “I’ve also brought a number of medical aids for our human companions, in case they’re needed. It may be a good idea to give a rough run down for Rumble and Frenzy.” Unspoken- he hoped that they wouldn’t be needed, but did expect it.

“Sure! Though maybe you should set up in Astrotrain? Eh… nah, you can get to know Hook. He might even like you!” Frenzy agreed, hopping off the table. “And a run down of stuff is good. If we’re going to be helping humans, we’re gonna do it right!”

“Yeah!” Rumble agreed. “...And you can check our weapons, if it would make you feel better,” he added.

“I guess we’ll… come with?” Carly offered, looking back at Optimus and Prowl. Optimus nodded, because Megatron _had_ suggested they become friendly, more or less.

“And we can talk- would you like to see your possible room, Optimus?” Megatron agreed, standing.

Ignoring the… very thin veil of how nice it could be that peace might be in hand, Optimus nodded. He did not think there was trickery in this, and already, he had decided that this was so far removed from a trap that he might as well flow with it. “I would like that. ...Thank you.” 

“We’ll keep Starscream company, if that’s okay,” Sideswipe said. He was grinning again, and looking hopeful along with Sunstreaker. 

“If I’m to be stuck with you lot, we’re going to _my_ Seekers, not to your rooms,” Starscream said, voice withering. 

Megatron looked like he was going to reprimand Starscream, which was a fair shock. Optimus cut him off. “You do not need to be ‘stuck’ with them, if you do not wish, Starscream. The Twins can stay with Prowl.”

“I’m aware of that,” Starscream snapped, sending Optimus a look. When no-one said anything for a moment, he seemed to consider that enough, and stood, barely waiting for the Twins to follow before sweeping past Megatron.

“...That happened,” Jazz commented, looking between Prowl and Soundwave. “...Should we stand up? We’re the only ones sitting. ...I’m sure Soundwave could show us around and ask us questions and everything, I guess.” He waved a little as Bumblebee edge around, following the cassettes and humans, First Aid slower to follow.

Soundwave answered by standing and then staring silently at Prowl and Jazz until they followed suit. “Whatcha thinkin,’ Soundwave?” Jazz asked, studying the map still on the table in front of them. 

“I must ask the same question,” Prowl said, already rolling through different scenarios. “I’m already wondering if it may be best to consider how this will affect the humans reactions to us, should they find out about it.” 

“City; exists because of humans. Mechs; not to blame,” Soundwave answered. “Tour; desired? Or planning?”

“Well, I mean, as loath as I am to refuse a guided tour of th’ _Nemesis_... think I should go with plannin’ this time…” Jazz answered.

“And, it is not so much that they may blame us for the city, but for hiding that we’re going to destroy it.” Prowl nodded, then sighed, door wings flickering. 

Jazz frowned, then shook his head. “If it’s been down there from thirty-odd human years, with, from what I can understand, no real upkeep. I hate ta’ say it, but if the humans are upset, we can point out that they need to take that up with mother nature.” 

“City; not so far from tectonic activity,” Soundwave pointed out, almost sounding amused. “Volcanic activity; also possible.”

Prowl nodded, slowly. “Right. Well. Yes. And who would believe a city at the bottom of the ocean, anyway? Probably just… a Decepticon trick, if they hear about it, I suppose. ...Not to be insulting…” He glanced at Soundwave, door-wings dipping just a little.

“Decepticons; very tricky.”

Jazz cracked a smile. “Yeah, very tricky, huh.” He smiled wider, shifting a little and then looking over the table again. “Where did you enter, last time?” he asked. 

Soundwave paused a moment, then enlarged the map, which really only showed the outside outline of the city. “Rumble; entered here. Soundwave; flooded area here,” he answered, pointing at the two sections which weren’t quite ‘outlines’. It was a section of the city a little away from the core, and connected by what seemed to be… train tracks. “Next entry; suggested here.” He indicated a section a little bit closer to the city core, and very small.

“I wonder how much else of this place is flooded,” Prowl commented, optics following the edge of the city. 

“Well, that part probably is, and that,” Jazz said, pointing to a rather sizeable section that was cut off from the rest, down an ocean crevice, and another at the other side. 

“...It would appear that earthquakes have already taken a toll on the city,” Prowl agreed.

“So, I get that I’m probably too big for this place…” Jazz said, looking up at Soundwave, “But I would like to go along. Insertion _is_ my speciality, and once we’re there, it’s possible that I’ll find a better place. That okay?”

Soundwave gave a small nod. “Infiltration; Jazz’s specialty. Refusing offer; foolish.”

“I think you’d be able to stay where ever Astrotrain does, at least,” Prowl added. “After all, these look to be train tracks, so they must have a way to fit at least small trains there.” Astrotrain was not small, but he wasn’t too large. 

“Good point,” Jazz said with a chuckle. He was pleased by Soundwave’s vote of confidence, that much was obvious. 

Prowl’s door wings flickered as well, equally certain about Jazz’s abilities, most likely. The tactician’s optics traced over the map again, then he rubbed at his face, and pointed to another line of tracks. “These seem to go to one of the sunken areas. I wonder what happened.” 

“We could earmark it, if things aren’t looking too bad. Or ask someone else to go look at it. I bet even I could go look, if we don’t care too much about what’s intact…” Jazz answered.

“Location; likely unimportant,” Soundwave agreed. Then he paused, and tilted his head slightly. “Rumble’s memories… could be shown. At any point. Prowl; projected to find risk unacceptable.”

That got Jazz’s attention, and he didn’t bother trying to hide his interest. He’d worked out that mechs like Soundwave and Blaster could share their cassette’s memories, but he was quite sure it wasn’t something often _offered_! “Isn’t that… something they have to agree to, too?” he asked, uncertainly. 

“As for the risk,” Prowl added, door wings hitching again as he glanced at Jazz and ran about twenty different scenarios through his tacticians protocols, “It may be exceeded by needing to know what we’re sending people into- _all_ of those being sent.” They had to find peace some time. Prowl, and many other Autobots, were tired of fighting. 

“Negative. Cassettes’ agreement not required. Soundwave; will inquire. Distress; not desired.”

“Ah… yeah. I mean, I dig what you’re saying, but… it don’t quite sound right,” Jazz said, not able to stop a frown. The only way to know _what_ Soundwave actually meant by ‘not required’ was to ask, and he didn’t think Soundwave would be willing to answer. Jazz didn’t think Blaster would answer either.

“Soundwave; understands. Autobots; wish to find Rumble now?” Soundwave stood in a manner than suggested… uncertainty, which wasn’t really a surprise. None of them were certain or confident in this situation!

“No, Soundwave, it’s okay,” Prowl answered. “We must trust that you would know what is needed for the comfort of your cassettes, just as we trust Blaster.” It was directed at Jazz almost as much, and in this case, he did believe that bringing it up may do more harm than good. 

Jazz looked at him, and the flitted door wings, before nodding. “You’re right, ‘course, Prowler. I’m sorry for doubting. I… tend to forget that ‘decks are on another level with stuff with Blaster, too.” 

Soundwave paused again, then nodded. “Cassettes; some level of symbiosis. Seekers; somewhat similar. Closer ties. Different rules… Who wishes to see?”

That was… a lot closer to an explanation than Jazz had expected. He wasn’t really sure what to make of it, but he filed the information away. “I think Prowl was th’ one who wanted ta see. He’s better at plans, too. And I guess I’ll be seein’ soon enough myself, but… Prowl, you got any input here?”

“I think it would be best for me to see it as well,” Prowl agreed. “If it is agreeable to Soundwave, I can show you later, Jazz.” If it was needed. Jazz may, or may not, want to know what he saw, if it was not specifically needed. 

Jazz made a soft sound. “As Prowler says. But that’s based on what you are alright with,” he added. 

“Prowl; may show whomever. Soundwave; comfortable with either mech. ...Sitting; may be preferable.” There was _definitely_ humor in his stance now, and Jazz couldn’t be that surprised. Considering how he’d asked about that earlier… And strange, it wasn’t even that weird being alone with Soundwave on the _Nemesis_.

For a short moment, Prowl wasn’t sure what to say. He twitched again, well aware that Soundwave was larger, and that such things could go either way with this. Even further, he was, slightly, nervous. There was no reason for the mech to harm him, in any way. But, neither Autobot could be certain of how he was to be showed this information. Jazz had joked about even Blaster’s methods time and time before. 

“Where do you want me?” he asked, glancing at the chairs of the table. 

“And for that matter, me?” Jazz added. 

Soundwave motioned at the seats around them. “Here; fine. Comfort; preferable. Jazz; may watch from anywhere. Contact; discouraged. ...Results unpredictable.”

“...Kay. I can work with that. No touchy… That okay with you, Prowl?” Soundwave was being downright _chatty_ , Jazz thought, and he wasn’t about to give up his chance to see… whatever this was. It would likely be boring for him, though… “...Thank you for, you know. Helping us help you…”

Prowl nodded, then sat down in the seat he’d been in before. “I’ll be fine, Jazz, thank you.” He smiled lightly, not showing any of the nervousness, except in his wings. If touch might be an issue, then Soundwave was not planning on doing this the hardlining way. That made it both less, and more, dangerous at the same time. Less, because Soundwave could not change any of his code, but more, because none of them knew the extent of the mech’s abilities. If Blaster did, he had never said. 

Soundwave moved, slowly, to stand behind Prowl, and lightly rested his hands on the Praxian’s helm. That was about what Jazz expected, and he didn’t say anything either. He _wasn’t_ expecting the soft hum, or the way he suddenly felt the need to sit down. It wasn’t bad, it was just… the humming did strange things to his struts! Prowl didn’t seem to be distressed, either, wings still on either side of Soundwave.

Further, he wasn’t expecting for it to take as long as it did. Jazz flopped into a chair after the second breem passed, watching, still. But Prowl didn’t seem to be minding, still, so he mostly kept watch and thought about tactics for dealing with humans when they got to the city. 

Eventually, the humming stopped, Soundwave’s hands dropping as Prowl seemed to do as well. In that click, Jazz panicked, because what if- but Prowl shook his head, and Soundwave pulled energon from somewhere, testing it right in front of them with a hand-held analyzer, and then offered it. 

Jazz took the cube, testing it himself with a sip, and then giving it to Prowl, who also sipped it. But then the tactician put it aside, optics flickering owlishly. He followed Soundwave’s movements as the mech sat down himself. “You guys okay, there?” Jazz asked. 

“Prowl; likely remembering himself. Rumble; much smaller,” Soundwave explained, not looking away from Prowl until the Praxian shook himself a little.

“I’m… okay. Rumble doesn’t have door-wings, either…” Prowl said, still coming back to himself.

Jazz nodded, and stole another sip from the cube. They’d brought their own, but it was always polite to accept gifts, and Optimus and First Aid had the bulk of cubes anyway. “I guess… yeah. That’s not so much of an issue when hardlining, but I think I can see how it would be here…” Hardlining tended to have a lot of editing going on. Jazz wasn’t sure how much editing was _possible_ with a connection like Soundwave gave.

“Thank you, Soundwave,” Prowl said after a moment. “I… can now see exactly why you all have asked for our assistance in this. I admit, telling is not the same as _seeing_...” He looked abashed, at least, a little. 

“That bad, huh?” Jazz said, frowning, just a little, and then looking at Soundwave. “I mean… I admit, I’m kinda surprised you’re letting your cassettes down there… Blaster growled at me when I suggested his.” 

Soundwave hummed again, and nodded. “Soundwave; prefer they stay. Rumble and Frenzy; twins. Always less dependant. Additionally; Decepticon cassettes see more than Autobot.” He paused again, then added, “Other cassettes; not allowed. Soundwave; trusting-” He cut off, with a binary noise, and actually shook his head. “Unimportant.”

“You can say it anyway,” Jazz offered, giving one of his winning smiles, one of the ones that usually got his way with human governments and mechs alike. “Really. We all know that cassettes are special to their decks.” 

“Jazz,” Prowl said, voice hitting that _warning_ tone. 

“Jazz; not offensive. Soundwave; revealed enough for first date.” He hummed again, as if he hadn’t said anything surprising.

“Er… I can’t tell if that’s a joke or not. It sounds like the sort of thing I’d say for a joke, but… you’re not really known for joking…” Jazz said, feeling abruptly lost. It _was_ a joke- it had to be! Didn’t it?

“If this was a first date, I want a do-over,” Prowl muttered. It took a moment for Jazz to realize that not only was _Prowl_ now joking or not joking, but he wasn’t even sure of _that_ himself. Door wings flicked back and down, which didn’t help at all, and the special ops mech stared at both mechs for a good long moment.

“Past; cannot be changed. Planning; may improve second date?” Soundwave looked at Jazz, and added, “Jazz; not had first yet.”

“You… ain’t joking, are ya? And… I’m not opposed to this idea…” Jazz answered, optics flickering a little. This was _so_ not what he had expected from coming down here, and he wondered just why Soundwave was being so… sudden.

“Long-term truce,” Soundwave answered, and Jazz realized that Soundwave had _no_ shame about reading processors, or letting it be known what he was doing. “Truces; increasing in frequency, duration. Autobots; not the only ones tired of war.”

Slowly, Jazz grinned, then winked an optic at Soundwave. “Okay, fair enough,” he said. “But we need to work on what you consider a date, then, yeah?” He smirked. “After we make it out of this alive, or at least, hopefully.” 

“I’d have to agree there,” Prowl said, smiling lightly. 

“Ha. See, it happens sometimes,” Jazz said, grinning wider. 

“Soundwave; anticipates,” Soundwave agreed. “Desired; promised tour?”

They _had_ been in here for a while now, Jazz realized, and he would like to check in on Carly and Spike, at least. He’d _like_ to check in with Optimus and the Twins, too, but he strongly suspected neither of them would appreciate such. “Yeah. Let’s take a tour of the Nemesis! We can see how many secrets I’ve found!” Jazz agreed, laughing.

They took the ‘tour’ with Soundwave, and Jazz, luckily, kept the number to himself for those secrets, though Prowl knew by the way the mech’s visor flashed, and Soundwave must have known with the abilities the telepath had.


	3. If You Don't Draw First, You Don't Get To Draw At All...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a tad shorter than others seem to be. Hope it's enjoyed, though!

Talking with the cassettes while First Aid explained the medical devices had been surprisingly enjoyable, Carly thought. When they weren’t trying to kill her and Spike, they were actually pretty funny, and friendly, to the point that she wasn’t that concerned about going into a situation where she would have to rely on them. It did help that Bumblebee would be there for most of it, but they were all aware that it would be just the four of them at some point.

Now the ‘scouting party’, as well as Jazz, were aboard Astrotrain again- and surprisingly, _he_ wasn’t that bad either! He let Carly and Spike sit up front, and pointed out the tracks from his earlier approach. Footprints, because mechs could _do_ that.

“Look, there it is!” Spike said, and Carly understood perfectly well why he sounded excited. It was a horrible, crazy, messed up place, but it was a city that shouldn’t exist, and it was beautiful. “...Rapture. Well, I understand that now…” he murmured, looking at the Art Deco spires, neon lighting flickering, shadows moving in the many windows. From here, it almost looked untouched.

“Yeah, looks pretty on the outside, but it ain’t so pretty on the inside,” Rumble muttered as the doors to the outer part of the air lock opened, slowly, grinding, barely working. They came to a stop, the outer doors closing, water draining out quickly. The inner doors were slower to open, faltering more than once with gears grinding. 

“Yeah… Not doubting that…” Spike agreed, moving back a little. The inner door had finally opened enough that Astrotrain could move forward, into the station, and that meant that they would be getting off soon.

Bumblebee looked up as Spike came into Astrotrain’s ‘hold’, which wasn’t really that separate from the front. “Here we go, then,” he said, smiling reassuringly. Astrotrain came to a stop and opened his hold.

“Whoo. Just as tight as ya said, Rumble. Guess you get company after all, Astro’...” Jazz said, leaving the hold. They were in a train station, more or less, and there was enough room for him to stand, but he could see that there was no going beyond the larger station room, for him.

“And we shall be a camera,” Reflector observed. A little smaller than Jazz, they could fit into the airlock, but it would be tight. Carly was wondering about Bumblebee, herself, but knew that mechs could fit into smaller areas than it would seem. She adjusted her earpiece, Spike doing the same, and frowned. 

“I don’t see anyone,” she said, shifting her hands on the gun in her hand, a heavy, and comforting, weight. There was nothing of the manic screaming that had been, as Rumble had said. There was just the sound of water and bubbles and dripping. It was like a ghost town. 

Spike frowned as well, turning as he stepped out, crouching, just in case. It was a new side to the humans that Jazz was, frankly, proud of. “It feels off. Even the air. Like a… tomb.” 

“Just… stay quiet…” Rumble answered, moving forward slowly. “With any luck, you’ll hear them first…” He was spooked still, clearly and obviously.

“Oxygen levels are marginally lower than surface levels,” Astrotrain added. “Don’t know if that makes it a ‘tomb’ for you, though…”

Frenzy went ahead of Rumble, looking around but not too nervous. “There’s only that one hatch up there. We goin’ for it?”

“It’s not just the air,” Carly said quietly. She was silent after that, creeping past Jazz and out, closer to the hatch. 

Spike waved at her, and they each moved to a different side, checking the different side areas with careful eyes. They caught the sound of footsteps and movement before the mechs did, each swinging over, guns up, in different directions, different doorways. The Decepticon weapons were quieter than human ones would be, but they didn’t want to cause alert by firing, yet. 

“Who’s there? Charles, the door!” a woman said, coming out of one door. She had a crowbar in one hand, a bag of some sort over her head, and the remains of an old dress clinging to her. Her proportions didn’t look quite right, Carly thought wildly. She saw them, and gave an unholy shriek. “Thieves! Come to my house!”

“Little fishies!” a man screamed, charging out of the door opposite the woman.

It was a surprise to the mechs when Carly was the first to fire, hitting the man square in the shoulder. He screeched, but it was as though he could no longer feel, a large piece of rebar in his hands as well, swung at Carly’s head. She fired again, this one hitting his head, sending him down for the count. But it didn’t feel as though she’d killed a person, that was the sickening part. The man had ceased to be human long before. 

Spike dispatched the woman in the same way, hesitating a moment, before shooting when she came into range. The singular shot to the woman’s chest killed her in an instant, the corpse crumbling with a scream. 

“Fishies? Little fishies!” another voice wailed, coming from above, one of the ledges. Another woman, screaming rages and howling at them, heading for the stairs. 

Rumble handled this one, one shot to her head, and he stood a moment, cycling a little faster than normal before turning to Spike and Carly. Bumblebee was looking at them too, optics paler than normal. Even Jazz looked spooked, and Carly couldn’t blame him.

“Everyone okay? Um… Is that… the kind of thing to expect…?” Bumblebee finally said, looking around again. There didn’t _seem_ to be anyone coming from the sounds…

Rumble nodded, and Frenzy gave a weird, choked laugh. “I can’t say… I’m unhappy ya got ‘em,” Rumble said, stiffly. “Probably won’t help, but… I’ll tell ya this ain’t- this ain’t like shootin’ people. Not, um. Real people…” He squirmed a little.

“...I think I noticed,” Carly answered, not able to look away from the body she’d created for long. Whatever mask he may have had was lost long ago, and she could just see the edges of tumors, lumps on his limbs, his throat… “Oh God. Oh God, I think I’m going to be sick!”

“If you do, be sick over there,” Spike said. “I have dibs on this side for puking.” There was a rumbling, but no new screamers came running. It was silent, again. 

“You two okay?” Jazz asked, moving closer. “...And my scans aren’t picking any more... people.” 

“...Yeah, I, uh… don’t think those are people anymore,” Astrotrain muttered. 

Jazz… didn’t _blame_ her, Carly thought, finally moving to one side, breathing heavily through her mouth. Jazz didn’t blame either of them, and Bumblebee didn’t either, and _both_ those mechs really loved humanity. But Jazz didn’t scold Astrotrain for his statement, didn’t argue with it…

Carly looked up, feeling a bit better, and caught sight of the woman Spike had shot. That was enough, and she promptly lost what breakfast she’d managed. To her surprise, it was Frenzy who pulled her hair back and rubbed, awkwardly, at her back. Bumblebee, she managed to see, was comforting Spike.

“You’ll be okay. So will he. It won’t take us long to clear this little area, and- and there shouldn’t be that many- This place was built how long ago? So yeah. Don’t worry,” Frenzy muttered. He was really bad at this ‘comfort’ thing, Carly thought, until he presented her with a bottle of water.

“Thanks,” Carly said, sipping the water, which now tasted sweet, and resisting the urge to clean her mouth by spitting it back out. They had no clue about how much fresh drinking water they had available, she couldn’t waste it. It was bad enough that she’d wasted breakfast. The woman still looked pale when she managed to sit up straighter, patting Frenzy and giving him a soft smile. “I mean it, thank you.” 

“...It’s- er- no problem,” Frenzy answered. He tucked the bottle back away, and she reminded herself that this was what they’d come down to do. No matter what. 

Catching Bumblebee’s look, she nodded at him. He frowned, but Spike was looking much better already, and he’d managed to not throw up. “We should continue,” she said, tasting bile again, and forcing it back down with will alone. “We don’t know if or when one of these chambers could burst.” 

“ _How does it look down there?_ ” Prowl’s voice flitted through their headsets and, from the way Jazz perked slightly, the comm lines. 

“ _Already encountered three hostiles. Taken out,_ ” Jazz answered, proving her thought. She was glad he was there, even if, soon, he’d be farther away. 

Carly took a breath, and did her best to smile, but no-one moved right away. It was Rumble who started, going to the door the man had come from. Frenzy ran to catch up, while Reflector did as they had said and turned into a camera, forcing Spike to catch them. It was a distraction, at least.

The little room was pretty much empty, with just some tin cans and glass bottles around, and an absolutely squalid mattress. It was painfully clear that this place had been _lived_ in, and Carly wondered if, quite apart from the screamers being ‘people’ or not, it was a mercy to end existences like these. Then she felt a stab of guilt for thinking that. They hadn’t _asked_ for this, she was sure, and even if they had… 

“Empty here. We’ll check the other room, but…” Frenzy shook his head a little. In the station, Spike was helping Reflector get pictures of the sea-life outside, and that _was_ pretty.

While they did that, Carly steadied herself and went over to what was obviously the control panel to the hatch. She studied it for a moment, glad for the fingerless gloves that gave her motility and security. It didn’t stop the feeling of grime and gunk that layered everything in a fine sheet. 

Experimentally, she tapped the side of the thick metalled control panel, fingers finding the edge. It took a moment of prying, but she got it open to examine the wires inside. “Well, I think I can get the doors open,” she said, twisting around to glance at Jazz. “But I can’t tell if the other side is flooded or not. I doubt it is, if I understand these right.” 

“Wait ‘til they get back, Carly,” Jazz said, moving closer. “I’m hopin’ that the path is big enough that at least ‘Bee can fit there with you. Maybe me, if we’re lucky.” 

“I… think he can?” she answered, moving to try seeing out the windows. Those were crazy, she thought- Carly couldn’t tell how thick they were, but she was pretty sure they were just… glass. They shouldn’t have kept the seawater out… “...Whoever built this place… I wish he wasn’t down here, let’s say.”

“I know whatcha mean. I think Scrapper, from what I’ve heard, could manage to build a place like this. Especially with Hoist and Grapple’s help. But without them…”

Frenzy came out of the second room, shaking his head. “That’s empty. Some bullet casings- Who would even let guns down here? We made sure to bring things less likely to crack glass, at least!”

“Yeah. It’s a wonder this entire place isn’t already flooded,” Spike muttered. He moved closer to Carly, smiling at her carefully, and then looked at the control panel she’d been working at. “Heard you can get the hatch open. From what I remember of the map, it _shouldn’t_ be flooded, at least.” 

“Yeah. You guys ready for me to pop this?” Carly asked, glancing at Jazz. He leveled his own weapon at the door and nodded in answer. 

Bumblebee frowned, glancing at the larger mech, and then following suit with his own weapon. Carly didn’t blame his unease. 

There was a low thunk, and then a quiet hiss, and the hatch shifted up, surprisingly smoothly. Carly couldn’t see much from where she was, but no-one shot, and she assumed it was safe enough. Glancing around the frame, head lower than Jazz’s weapon, confirmed that the tunnel was, for the moment, empty.

“Wow. ‘Bee, Jazz, what do you think?” Spike said. The tunnel was bigger than expected, bigger than it _should_ be… It looked very industrial, Carly thought. It didn’t quite… fit the rest of the areas.

“So, um. If you happen to see these big, um… things… making whale-noises… stay away from them…” Rumble said suddenly, looking down the tunnel. “Um… things like that…” He pointed to a still form, and it took more than a moment for Carly to realize it was a body. Or at least… _something_ like that.

“Noted,” Carly answered with a nod, bringing her gun up with hands that were, almost, shaking still. 

“We can fit for now,” Jazz answered, glancing back at Astrotrain. “Be careful mech,” he said, crouching and following quite awkwardly. But it wasn’t bad, and he was happier, Carly could see, that he _could_ get through. 

There was another hatch, easily popped open again, and then a corner turn, and, straight ahead… a Gene Bank? Carly glanced over that, frowning, but they ignored it and moved on, rounding the corner to find another hatch. It was still grimy, which was expected, and quiet, again. 

Carly opened the third hatch, only to grit her teeth to hold back a startled sound as something fell, the metal groaning. “Watch out,” she said, stepping through and raising her gun again. This area was wider, another turn, dark and dank and- there was a shrine ahead. “What the hell?” 

It was in slightly better condition than other parts of the area, with faded and torn blue fabric draped over boxes, and some little smears of wax here and there. The fabric led away from the boxes maybe five feet, towards the wall, or rather, what seemed to be an… air vent. Carly carefully moved to the vent, grabbing the sides and pulling herself on tip-toe to look into the large hole. The air definitely had a different smell, very musky…

“Nothing,” she proclaimed, dropping back down and looking at the group. “I mean… someone with better vision can look, if you want…”

“I’m trying to figure out what’s on the wall…” Spike answered, obediently taking pictures as the camera directed. “That thing’s big… kinda freaky, really. It’s like they… worship it…?”

“Let’s move on, I don’t like it. One of the things that makes whale noises was near one, last time,” Rumble said with a frown. He looked relieved when Spike patted him and they turned, though they took a few last moment pictures first. 

Carly smiled carefully, then turned the corner, spotting an open hall, this time, no more hatches, at least for the moment. “I see an open space,” she said quietly. Stepping out into it, there was the sound of metal groaning again, but, suddenly, there were windows arching above, flickering neon at the human height. 

And then, there was screaming again. 

“Who’s there? Come to take what’s ours…!” Spike dodged back as something flew towards his head from one of the higher levels, a wrench, from another man. He had a mask over his face, though it looked more like it was fused to him than anything. 

They both moved, aiming and shooting as the screaming grew louder, voices from multiple directions bouncing off of the glass and into the loud space. Two of them erupted from a side hall, as before first, howling like rabid dogs. Carly took out one, Jazz, the other- one, two shots. There wasn’t much time to think about it, another three, men and a woman, raced from the front of the room, splashing through puddles and swinging at Rumble. “Get him!” one of them screeched. But the rest of the shouts were lost in the mix. 

It looked like Rumble was surprised when Spike half stepped near him, swinging out with his weapon to block a blow, and then firing at the close range. It worked to drop the man with a singular shot, while Frenzy kicked another, firing his own shots and taking down the last of them. 

Looking at each other, Jazz started to speak. The crackle of speakers cut him off, and they all raised weapons toward where they each thought the sound might have originated. “ **I ain’t ever seen no tin daddies like you’ins,** ” a voice said. “ **...Ain’t ever seen anythin’ like that, neither. Ain’t notin’ here, tin men, you’d be best goin’ back.** ” The voice sounded old, accent Southern, and female. 

Looking at Rumble, since he was the only one with real experience here, only gained a headshake. Jazz gave a little shrug, lowering his weapon a little. “We’re just lookin’ around. Didn’t… really expect to find someone, um… rational…”

“ **A talkin’ tin daddy! I never thought to see the day!** ” the woman answered. Carly relaxed a little, because it was hard to be scared with someone sounding so confident, and maybe friendly. “ **What are you trying to pull? Don’t you _know_ ‘bout Rapture?** ”

“Mm… no, Ma’am,” Spike answered. Jazz was more diplomatic, but this _was_ a human thing. “We don’t know much about this place at all. We only really heard about it a couple of days ago… ...Er. What’s happened?”

“ **So we was still hidden from the surface? Sun still shine? Been a long time…** ” she drifted off for a moment, then there was another crackle. “ **Lotsa stuff been happened, sweetie. Whole town went nuts with Adam, an’ Ryan takin’ control, jailin’, killin’, anyone not happy. An’ then the Family- God rest our souls, been chaos. ...Come on over. I’m in Sinclair’s ol’ den. Watch out for the splicers, thems got notin’ left in them skulls but mush an’ screams.** ” There was a click, and then nothing. 

“...Sinclair’s… That doesn’t really help…” Frenzy observed, looking around. “...I see a diner…”

“Nothing for it but to look around…” Carly said, moving a little ways towards the diner. It was taking a while for her to adjust to this place.

“And maybe it’s the giant sign?” Reflector asked from Spike’s hands. A moment later, there were three more mechs, gesturing towards the ‘giant sign’.

Carly took another step, in the direction indicated, and chuckled. “Well, yeah. Maybe it’s where the giant sign is.” Said sign chose then to flicker, faintly green, right next to another hatch. “...And I think I’m going to be sick of those hatches _really_ fast,” Carly muttered.

As they walked around the diner, another scream alerted them to what they could probably finally label as a splicer. He ran at them full tilt, swinging a crowbar around, and rambling what really wasn’t words. Spike killed him, but needed three shots, and to dodge again. Luckily, it didn’t take very long, and no one else appeared as they headed toward the flashing neon. In that moment, Reflector transformed again, tucking himself in with Bumblebee- it seemed safer.


	4. I Saw It As The Beginning Of A Career In Physics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lateness!

They did continue walking, through another tunnel, another series of hatches and air locks, and rubble. And more splicers. It... was already getting easier to kill them. They came out of the tunnel in front of more neon, half of it broken, but the name Sinclair was very large and obvious, the building partially destroyed.

“Good lord, you tin daddies is far bigger than I expected up close,” the woman they’d heard stepped out onto a balcony, voice much softer than the speakers would have suggested. It put her eye to optic with Jazz, and Carly tried to smile softly. 

“That’s Jazz, Bumblebee, Rumble, and Frenzy. The camera is Reflector. I’m Carly, he’s Spike,” she said, pointing to each of them. “I don’t know what tin daddies are, but they’re Cybertronians.”

The woman, dressed in yellows, dark skin, and cane in hand, stood straight, dark eyes cutting to Carly. “Well sugar, my name’s Grace. Even if you ain’t with tin daddies, what you doin’ here?” A cane in her hand tapped the railing of the ruined building, and she pulled out a box of cigarettes, lighting one up and taking a puff of it. 

“Um. Well, looking around. Rumble… was here before, and wanted to… ask for the human opinion of this. So, I mean… I guess we wanted to know what happened, and if there was anyone… who needed help. ...Though, I don’t think those screaming… splicers? They’re. Yeah. Mush and… screaming…” Carly answered, trying not to let on to how concerned she was. Grace didn’t have _any_ weapons- and how could anyone be sane after God-alone-knew how long?

“We can offer ya a way outta here. Back up ta the surface, if ya want,” Jazz said, smiling. “The sun’s still shinin’... Wind blowin’, seasons turnin’...”

Grace paused, then shook her head, taking another puff of her cigarettes. “Oh, that sounds _lovely_. I wish I could. Can’t leave, though. Them’s living in the Markets need me. I watch out for this area… ‘N try and help when I can.” She smiled, but it was wistful, and made her look sader more than anything. “Is that what you come for? Take anyone left out?” 

“...And take apart whatever areas are empty of… people,” Rumble said. He glanced immediately at Spike and Carly, and seemed surprised when they nodded.

“The Markets? Can you tell us how to get there? And… anywhere else there might be _people_ left?” Spike asked. “What… _happened_ to them? You said something about Adam, and splicing, but… that doesn’t help…”

“You gonna send this place back to Hell?” Grace asked. “Good. It belongs there. An’ I can tell ya’, but you’d need to go up ta’ Olympus Heights first, before you can get in, an’ get the key to the so called ‘Welcome Center.’” She paused, then frowned. “Adam… is what’s made hell. It’s what turned them splicers brains to jelly, ‘cause they used too much, sugar. It’s a drug, makes ya’ feel like Superman. Kicks ya’ in the teeth though.” 

“Splicers are those that use Adam, then?” Carly asked, biting her lip. “Who made something like that, and why?” 

“Ol’ doc Tenenbaum. She discovered it, spent ages trying to research the stuff. Fontaine found out, bought her, got other science types to make the plasmids. You’ll sees them all over.” Grace jerked her head at one of the many scattered and broken machines. “Long story short, Ryan wasn’t too happy, the tyrant. He locked up anyone that didn’ agree with his so called ‘perfect’ society. Things broke, honey. Found out the Adam makes ya’ go coockoo if you ain’t careful- civil war, all that, between Ryan and Fontaine, an’ then Atlas too, some dock ‘freedom fighter’ or so. Worse it got, the more Adam people used ta’ escape, crazier they got. Cycle ain’t stopped.” 

“Is there any cure?” Rumble was the one to ask. 

He flinched when Grace looked amused. “No. Ain’t no cure. Adam changes your body, changes it down ta’ your bones.”

“So… no touching the drugs, people go crazy, Ryan went worse than he already sounded… I’m sorry, Grace, but hearing his ideas now, at least…” Carly shook her head a little.

“Olympus Heights?” Jazz asked. “To get the key to a Welcome Center? And from there to the markets? Where there’s people? Sure…”

“You don’t happen to have a map, do you?” Spike asked, laughing. “This is like being lost in New York, only everyone hates your guts!”

The woman chuckled. “Jus’ look around you, baby, there’s maps everywhere. Don’t worry, though, it’s a straight shoot. And I’ll guide you from here.” Leaning more heavily on her cane, she took another long drag of her cigarette and then flicked the ashes down at her feet. “I can also say there’s allies up there. Ol’ Tenenbaum still’s up there, tryin’ to undo the things she made, an’ my sweet Eleanor been helpin’.” 

Spike glanced around then stepped aside, digging through one of the piles of mess that covered every part of the room. He blinked in surprise as he did find a map- a decent one. 

“Some places is flooded. You’ll have to go through Dionysus Park and Siren Ally, and then Fontaine’s buildins to get there instead of the short way.” 

“That’s great,” Frenzy muttered. “Any advice on not drawing the attention of those things out there?” 

“The splicers?” Grace said with a laugh, short, and humorless. “No. Best you can offer them is death, now. Ain’t seen anyone with anythin’ left in years, now.” 

“Well, they haven’t been… um. _Too_ bad… With all of us. I wouldn’t… want to be here alone…” Spike said, shooting Carly an apologetic look. There was no need for it, of course- it wasn’t _his_ fault that Rapture had become this!

“In your opinion, Grace, will I be able to fit in those areas? If not… I would be willing to stay here. Or you and I could both keep Astrotrain company. We won’t take you from here if you don’t want, though,” Jazz said. It made sense. If they knew where he was, knew when they could lose him… 

Grace thought for a moment, studying Jazz. “You won’t get far, sweet pea. Half of the buildings up there is smashed, and the tunnels ain’t looked too good in ages. But you don’t have to stick around an old woman like me. I can take care of myself.” She smiled, appearing flattered with the idea. “I don’t believe you’ll fit after a bit of time, either, yellow buttercup,” she said to Bumblebee. 

“You and Bumblebee could stay behind, Jazz,” Carly said. “We can go ahead- maybe we can work on finding a way around the small parts?” She glanced at Grace, and the woman nodded. 

“Don’t like it, Carly. It ain’t been that hard, but leavin’ the four of you to fight…” Jazz frowned a little, and Carly really didn’t blame him. She wasn’t entirely sure she trusted Rumble and Frenzy, but… she thought she didn’t _distrust_ them.

“Well, shouldn’t be that hard ta find ways ‘round, right? An’ like, er, Spike said… it’s better with people. You’d be… safe with th’ bug, too!” Rumble answered, though Carly thought his hands were clenched so they wouldn’t shake.

“Anyway, long as it’s not rockets, an’ we avoid the whale-noise things, ain’t nothing here can harm us. We can do this, and these two can watch our backs,” Frenzy added, grinning.

Grace laughed again, this time softer. “Honey, rockets ain’t the least of your troubles. But- oh, you mean Big Daddies!” She grew even softer, almost fond. “Big Daddies ain’t a danger unless they has a Little Sister with them, ain’t none left of the Alphas, an’ Big Daddy Delta gone home ta’ little Eleanor. Jus’ give space, don’ mess with the Little Sisters ‘less ya’ ready to kill a Big Daddy.” 

“Little… sister?” Spike asked, frowning. “Um… I take it from the way you say that that these… Little… Sisters… won’t do that whole scream attack gibber thing? Because, I mean, I’m good with that! ...Unless, um… Um, if they’re… people… we’d have to go after them, wouldn’t we?”

“We haven’t actually seen any of… any of that. ...Er, though there was a, um, dead one, ...Big Daddy? Out in the hall, by the train station,” Carly added. “But if we can avoid them, and take care of rockets… it sounds like we’ll be okay?”

“And the splicers. They have more than rockets.” Grace shook her head. “Little Sisters ain’t…” she sighed. “They was once sweet little girls. They can be sweet things again, I watched Delta save many. But right now, they little monsters, baby. They gonna wander lookin’ for dead to collect Adam, can’t help it, can’t stop it. Tenenbaum has ways to save them. I could search for them, here, for you.” 

“Are you trying to scare us away, or warn us, or-” Carly frowned, cutting herself off. 

“Both, sweety. You ain’t the first to come through- but I have faith in you. Big Daddy Delta was all alone. You got people with you, includin’ more than Big Daddy Delta ever had.” Grace finished her cigarette. “You should get movin. Them splicers get restless about now.” 

“We should… try to save them. I guess. But we’ll be… goin’ ta see that Tenenbaum, right? So… whichever,” Rumble said, not looking entirely happy.

“We’ll be going, them… at least to take a look at the way to Siren Alley. I’ll come back, though, I’m sure,” Jazz said, stepping back.

“Are _you_ going to be… okay, Grace? I mean, by yourself here…” Carly frowned, but moved to follow Jazz. “Well… you made it this long…” She wanted to stay, to hear more about the things Grace was mentioning, but the old woman knew more about the dangers of Rapture than _they_ did, and it would be wisest to listen to her.

She followed Jazz, partially, the mech not looking too happy as they used the map, Spike using a small marker from his pocket to cross out the section that Grace had said was flooded. “It’ll be okay, Jazz,” she said, patting his leg. “We thought this might happen… at least, you guys having trouble fitting.” 

He didn’t look any happier with that statement, frowning and looking down at her. “I don’t like leavin’ you guys. An’ I don’t like leavin’ her, either.” 

“There’s something she isn’t saying, either,” Spike muttered. “I don’t think it’s out of malice, but… I keep wondering how she’s protected herself here. And what she means by splicers being more dangerous, not counting ‘rockets’ and stuff.” 

“We’ll take care of them,” Frenzy repeated as they made their way back to the glass tunnel. It was a fairly good place to stay, since it limited how many splicers could come at once, but it _did_ remind them all that one wrong shot would bring the ocean in. “I know ya don’t fully trust us, but… Swear on our sparks. Or th’ Boss’ spark. An’ you can take care of Grace.”

“And we’ll take care of them,” Carly added, reaching out to rub a little at Rumble’s shoulder. He was a lot more freaked out than he’d pretended with Grace, and she couldn’t blame him. That last attack had not been pleasant, and from the sounds of it, there was worse waiting. She didn’t think anyone would blame them if they left, but… It would be wrong to let Megatron destroy this place and take whatever _people_ were left.

More hatches, but only one splicer woman, who attacked with a knife and was killed far too easily, and they were met with a pile of rubble that blocked half of the path. Carly wasn’t fond of that, but, now, she could see why Grace hadn’t thought that Jazz would get far. If this was how more than one tunnel was, there was no way. And she would bet that it was. 

“Well. Bee may be able to squeeze in here, but… I doubt that that big pile ahead will let him. Even if it did… You should stay here, buddy. Watch out for Jazz.” Spike smiled, patting Bumblebee’s arm and gesturing. 

“...I don’t want to…” Bumblebee muttered, looking at the piles. “...But you’re right. I maybe could, but I couldn’t fight while squeezing…” He tugged, lightly, on one piece of the rubble, and stopped when there was a groaning sound.

“I don’t like it either,” Jazz agreed. “But we ain’t gonna be able to convince them ta stay, and we ain’t gonna be able to follow. Maybe Grace will know a way we can help from a distances. We can patch her into their headsets, at least.” He sighed, then started emptying his subspace of the granola bars and bottles of water they’d brought. After a moment, Bumblebee started doing the same, while the cassettes, after a brief discussion using nothing but glances, pulled out various of what seemed to be prank supplies.

Spike and Carly grabbed for backpacks at the same time, snagging much of the water and food and dividing it between the two bags. They also grabbed some of the prank supplies, though if the twins noticed, they didn’t care, or just didn’t say anything. Subspace emptied, or at least, of stuff they didn’t want, Frenzy and Rumble also started tucking some of the food and medical gear into their subspace. 

“Thank you,” Spike said, echoed by Carly as she swung her bag around and snapped the front clasps on it. She patted Bumblebee when he knelt near her and Spike, looking the most upset they’d seen him before. 

“We’ll be okay,” she said. “And we’ll take care of Rumble and Frenzy, don’t worry.”

Bumblebee nodded, and tried to smile before catching Carly closer. She already knew that his hugs were pretty nice, so she didn’t fight it, even though he didn’t quite know how to handle the backpack. “I know. I _know_ that. I just… can’t help worrying.” He looked at Frenzy, who was closest, before waving at him. “Go on, then. Before I listen to the voice that says not to let you go,” Bumblebee added.

“Okay. We’ve got this,” Rumble said, facing the rubble. A moment later and he started working his way through it, Spike behind him. Carly squeezed Bumblebee’s hand and ran after them, followed by Frenzy. It wasn’t by accident, she knew, that they were between the tougher cassettes, and she wasn’t going to complain.

The last pile of rubble was very tight, and Carly thought it looked like parts of it had been scorched. There was a wooden sign over a hatch a few feet away that said Siren Alley, and Carly moved forward to look at the hatch. There was no sign that anything beyond was flooded, the access panel showing green, but the hatch was corroded. Corroded, and recently disturbed, with tracks of brass showing through the verdigris.

“I’m willing to bet that this will cause all sorts of noise, and that seems to bring splicers, so… everyone ready?” Carly asked. Even with the danger, it was hard not to get distracted by the fish outside, she thought. She was opening a hatch in a city full of madmen _on the bottom of the ocean_!

They got through, the hatch opening to reveal another large open space, partially rusted and crusted with the remnants of sea life. Crabs still scuttled around, even, and there were tall spires of dried coral affixed to various surfaces in addition to the dirt coating the floor. 

“This must have been flooded before,” Spike said, frowning. Water dripped and flowed from the upper floors, puddling next to them. 

“If I didn’t know what these crabs had to have been eating, I’d be all for catching a few for dinner,” Carly added, stepping close to one of the debris piles and ignoring the crab that clacked its claws at her and scuttled away. 

“What do you mean by that?” Frenzy asked. There were no splicers, or even the sound of them, and that had all parties relaxing a little. 

“Crabs’ll eat anything and there’s bodies everywhere,” Carly answered. “They’ve probably been feasting on corpses. That alone isn’t even the real issue. It’s this Adam stuff- who knows how that’s going to affect anything.” 

Rumble thought for a moment, and then looked ill. “Okay. Yeah. No crab bakes. ...That’s what ya do with ‘em, right? Bake them? Boil? Whatever.”

“I’ll… keep a look out for mutated crabs, I guess,” Frenzy muttered, looking around. “...Pity we can’t supplement what we’re carryin’, though…”

“We’ll be okay, Frenzy,” Spike answered, looking around still. “...It’s sad. This place… probably looked really nice. So, we’re looking for the path to Dionysus Park… Huh. Lookit this map. For a man who didn’t like gods, Ryan sure named enough places after them. Dionysus, Olympus, I’m seeing placing here called Neptune, Hephaestus… Weird. Then again, I guess a sane man wouldn’t ever think to build this…”

“I thought most of ya’ worshipped a single sky guy, or something,” Rumble said as they continued on, finding another set of air locks. 

Spike chuckled. “Lots of us do. These are ancient gods, of the Greeks and Romans, they aren’t really worshipped anymore.” He shrugged, glancing at the map again, then added. “If we can make it through Dionysus Park, we should find a place to take a break.” 

“Getting tired already?” Frenzy asked, cringing away from a bloated corpse that was covered in crabs and other sea life to instead go down a different hallway. 

“No. But we can’t tell time down here. We should at least start looking out for a safe place- like when camping, only we don’t have to worry about bears, just mutated lunatics.” Spike gave a side grin, and Carly chuckled. 

“Well, it has been a few hours… And who knows how long this walk will be,” Rumble agreed, following Spike. “...I’m more curious about the name of that place,” he added, pointing to a ruined sign for The Pearl. A wooden board, barely legible, was placed between the words, and seemed to have the word ‘Pink’ scrawled on it.

“... _Siren_ Alley. I should have guessed…” Carly answered, blushing. For a moment, when she saw the figure in the doorway, she felt more embarrassed. The screeching snapped her back to what passed for reality.

“You can’t have him! I saw him first! He’s _mine_!” the splicer yelled, charging the group. Two lasers fired at once, and she sprawled backwards in death. That was when Carly realized that she wasn’t wearing even a shred of clothing, and she was back to blushing.

Rumble looked away from the corpse, then yelped when another splicer screamed, running at them in nothing but ratty pants- he went down in another couple shots. “I’m less curious,” he muttered. 

“Yeah, well. At least there aren’t real Sirens here,” Spike answered with a sigh. 

“I’m afraid to know what those even are,” Frenzy said, stepping around the corpse and looking for the nearest door or hatch. 

“They sing and lure you… to… uh. That’s not a fish…” Carly pointed up when they looked at her, towards the dark, long limbed figure perched on the glass roof of the building. 

There was something like a sound, something that left Carly and Spike dizzy, before the shape moved away, with a grace that was obviously not mechanical. After a tense pause, nothing happened, and Carly sighed.

“Are you… sure there’s no Sirens here?” Frenzy asked, looking around. “Only that one wasn’t singing…”

“In this place? I’m not sure about _anything_ anymore,” Spike answered, shaking his head a little. “Let’s just get through here. Hang a right, I think…”

Rumble stared up at the ceiling for another moment, then nodded slowly, trailing behind them. “...Y-yeah,” he said. 

They made it a few more yards before they found an old medical station, the old beaten sign flickering barely in the dark space. Carly reached for the door to it, intending to see if anything was useful, only to get shocked immediately. Hissing in pain and jerking her hand back, she glared at the thing. “What type of person would booby trap- you know what, nevermind. Same type of crazy sociopathic nightmare dreamer that built this place!” 

She growled and kicked the station, and it fizzled and sparked, smoking, and then the sign went out, and she yanked the door off. For her trouble, there was a small crab inside, and it tried to snap at her with little claws before scuttling away. The rest of the little space seemed to be empty. 

“Well. It’s not mutated,” Frenzy observed, grinning a little. “Need help with your hand…?” He seemed more nervous about that, and Carly sighed.

“No, it’s not mutated. At least something’s going right…” Carly answered. Looking at her hand, she shook her head. “I’m fine, I think. Either the trap wasn’t very strong, or it was old, or… who knows…” She picked up a smallish, black cap, rolling it between her fingers for a moment before tossing it away. “Whatever. Nothing here, let’s move on.”

“There… should be a little tunnel… somewhere over here…” Spike said, looking through the map. “Do you see anything? I hope it hasn’t collapsed, that would be embarrassing…”

Frenzy nodded. “Over there, I think?” he said. He stepped over another debris pile, which Spike and Carly had to climb over, and then they could see the tunnel he was talking about, or at least, the start of it. There were three more hatches to go through before they hit another wider area that curved around, to a circular-ish room, and another hatch. 

They passed more strange machines, some of which started to make sounds and talk about advertisements. The water had damaged them too much, though, and so they didn’t do much but fizzle out unpleasantly. 

“Just another reason to hate clowns,” Spike muttered when they passed one that laughed. 

“Gah, why does _anyone_ think kids like those? I mean, down here it almost makes sense…” Carly agreed. “And the… Siren is back.” A long-limbed figure glided past a window as she said that, but there was no maybe-sound this time.

“There, I think I see the hatch!” Rumble said, pointing. It opened a second later, splicers running in, screaming.

“Daddy’s coming!” a male said, speaking _to_ the little group.

“Daddy and his Sister!” another splicer yelled. This one stopped and actually _looked_ at the group. “Daddies here already! Those don’t look like Sisters… Get ‘em!”

There was a woosh of _fire_ suddenly aimed at them, and they dodged just in time, Carly letting loose a barrage of shots at the splicer. Fire erupted from its hand again, aimed and thrown her way as it fell and died. One of the others screamed at her then, rushing in with more flames, even his mask on fire, and Frenzy fell back, part of his armor singed by the time he killed it, too. 

“Fire? What the hell!” Spike yelped, jumping back to avoid another splicer’s flames. Even worse, this one held explosives, and she lit one with that flame, before throwing it his way, missing, but succeeding in destroying one of the side tunnels. It was a miracle that there was no sudden flooding. 

“ **How dare you come into my house, bow to me, Blankies!** ” a male voice screeched, speakers crackling and flitzing. “ **Get them! Make them pay for being so disgusting!** ”

“I don’t think so…” Carly muttered. Yet another splicer waved towards her, and she dodged. Not quite enough, and she was left gasping as electricity played havoc with her nerves. Rumble shot that one, then stepped in and punched as a splicer got too close.

After a few more shots, and almost a dozen dead splicers, it seemed over. The group stood in a circle, but nothing moved beyond the hatch. The speakers crackled again, the same man from before speaking. “ **Stronger than you look, Blankies. Next time we’ll be ready, though. We’ll be ready… for you disgusting freaks!** ”

“...Who’s _he_ calling a freak…?” Rumble muttered, checking himself over.

“Where the fuck did the fire come from?” Spike said, dusting at his arm. The heat had been enough to singe his arm-hair!

“ _Looks like crazy Alex is gunning for you kids,_ ” Grace said, and through the comms, this time. “ _I told you them splicers have more than just rockets as danger. It’s what splicin’ does, sweeties. You should be careful._ ”

“She never said they could throw fire at us bare handed!” Carly hissed. She glanced at the rubbled hatch behind her, then sighed. “And we can’t go back, now.” 

Rumble shivered. “Humans shouldn’t be able to do these things. It’s…!” he trailed off as the shadow in the window appeared again, claws, or at least something close to it, scratching down the glass. There was that sound again, and then the shadow was on the move again. 

“...We… should keep moving…” Carly said, swallowing thickly and shaking out the little bits of pain in her frame as she went. 

To her surprise, Rumble came over, awkwardly trying to help her walk. She patted him thankfully, but didn’t need the help, not really. It was only a few steps to the next hatch, which opened into a very, very large area.

“Wow. I mean… it’s been flooded to hell and back, that’s obvious…” Spike said, looking at the layers of sand, “but if I didn’t know better, I’d say this was a temple.” There were several large sculptures standing by the walls, brass and copper and verdigris, dead coral and seaweed everywhere, some fountains with seastars and little fish in them…

“It’s an art gallery,” Carly answered, looking up. “...Or it was. I think.” In the distance, though, there was the faint echo of whale-song, or something eerily close to it.

Frenzy and Rumble both stepped closer to the humans, protective and tensing. “Stay close to us,” Rumble said. 

“Come on, Mr. Bubbles! Adam!” a voice giggled, young sounding, like a child. The wailing grew louder, humming, and then there was the sound of stomping and heavy footsteps. 

“ _That Little Sister and her Big Daddy are moving to get the bodies you just created. I suggest you get going, kiddos. Follow the left side of the Park. Poor Dr. Lamb would cry to see it like this still,_ ” Grace said, prompting them to move to the side more, stepping around one of the statues that lined the center of the park. From there they could see the large form of the Big Daddy coming around one of the corners, a shape darting near its legs. 

Carly’s hand slapped to her mouth as she caught sight of the shape. A tattered dress hung on the frame of dark purple, dead looking skin, glowing red eyes, and a wicked looking instrument in hand. The child barely looked like a child any longer, more like the walking dead. Glancing towards them, the child- Little Sister, giggled. 

“Look Daddy, they’ll be Angels soon! Dancing Angels!” She laughed, bouncing and running ahead, while the Big Daddy’s lights flashed orange, like a warning, until he passed them entirely. 

“Okay. Yeah. I… do not want to see what those two do with the, ah, bodies.” Carly had a hard time looking away, though, and frowned a little when the Big Daddy turned a little, patting the Little Sister. It was an odd gesture… She shivered a little and turned away.

“Yeah. Angels? That’s you guys’ religious stuff, right? Thought you said the guy who made this place didn’t like gods…” Frenzy said, quite willingly moving away from the strange pair. Rumble, for his part, was happily pulling Spike along.

“Where are we going? You’re the one with the map, Spike, so c’mon!” Rumble was saying.

“Good girls gather, gather, gather. Good girls gather, gather, yay!” the Little Sister was singing as they left. She didn’t see anything weird or wrong… Carly shivered again, and walked faster.

Spike gave his own shiver, then looked at the map. “Left, and up,” he said. “Towards… Fontaine Futuristics. I don’t like the sound of that.” 

“ **I, Alex the Great, will erase you Blankies of that Blankness!** ” ‘Alex’ screamed, cackling with laughter. “ **Can’t have you being an affront to nature, no no no! And then you’ll be model employees! Do you hear me, _model_ dead employees! Even the Daddies I see! Daddies with Blankies!** ” With the screams, they tensed, expecting more splicers, but there weren’t any, at least, for the moment. 

“I don’t _want_ to be your employee!” Spike yelled back, even though he kind of thought that Alex couldn’t heard him. He honestly kind of hoped that the madman couldn’t hear him, because holding a conversation with someone who was trying to kill him never _did_ stop being weird.

Rumble laughed a little, nodding. “I already got a Boss. Though… I wonder how much he’s thinking about how that’ll work. I’m pretty sure that Adam slag won’t work on me…”

“Crazy, remember?” Carly answered. “I have the most horrible feeling that we’re going to have to go through him, though. Ah!” She jumped as, again, a form moved passed the windows. It was too blocky to be whatever had followed them, though. When it waved, she realized it was one of Reflector, and waved back. He couldn’t get in to them, but… it was nice to know they were watching!

Clicking over her headset, she smiled at him. “ _Be careful, okay? Something has been following along with us out there._ ” 

He nodded, putting a hand on the glass and then moving back away- probably to get more pictures. Glancing back at the others, she sighed. Opening her mouth, again, to speak, she was cut off with more speakers crackling. 

“ **Is that Daddy out there with you! Fired! Fired! Or not even hired!** ” Alex shrieked, before the line was cut again, prompting them to move quicker. 

“Let’s go,” Spike said, glaring at the speakers. “Maybe he’s not even in control of them. Maybe they won’t hear it…” Carly could see that he knew how silly that sounded, even as he said it. But there was still nothing of an attack until they went through a second hatch, while Carly tried to get into another medical station. More fire, and more electricity, it wasn’t a surprise, and two splicers were killed with much less surprise, and only a few smaller burns. 

The good news was that this medical station actually had some stuff, mostly sealed bandages. There was also a sealed tin of some kind of ointment. Carly was pleased by that, until she realized that the ointment said it was good for everything and a rather nasty suspicion arose. Medications in the fifties, she knew, had used opium and heroin at times. Here in Rapture, this one could be using something even nastier. “So, I’m going to take this, but I’d like to have Jazz ask Grace if there’s any chance that Adam stuff is in it. ...Or, you know, ordinary opium and such. Don’t want _any_ it…” If it was actually safe, she very much wanted it! And from the face that Spike was giving, he agreed.

“Yeah, only you humans could talk about ‘ordinary’ opium,” Frenzy muttered. But it was good natured, and Carly just chuckled. 

She tucked the ointment into one of her pockets, and then glanced at the map and the next doorway, which was was supposed to lead them to the Fontaine Futuristics place. “ _Hey Jazz, is Grace around? Could you ask her about these medical centers for us?_ ”

“ _I’m here, sugar,_ ” Garce said. “ _Them centers is safe enough. Your friend is hacking through systems and pneumo tubes so I can send you stuff, later. I’d be more worried about crazy Alex getting his hands on you, sweeties._ ” 

“ _Why does he want us, anyway? And for that matter, is he just… that far gone?_ ” 

“ _Crazy Alex worked with Dr. Lamb, wanted to try and use the Adam for the greater good. It didn’t work. The man we knew is gone. Who knows why he wants you, or what he’s thinking. Be careful, last I saw him, he was mutated beyond even God’s eyes._ ” They could hear the frowning in Grace’s voice, and then her voice dropped from the comms, and Carly glanced at the twins again, then Spike. 

“Let’s go, before he sends more to try and kill us…” Spike said. 

“Yeah, let’s get going. ...I’m glad I’m in shape,” Carly agreed, going towards the hatch. A moment later and it was open, revealing a place that, for once, hadn’t been flooded.

It was mostly another long tunnel, this one glass. As near as they could tell, the tunnel was empty, and the four of them walked down it. It was easy to get distracted, again, with sea-life and plants crowding the windows, and Reflector visible some distance off. As they came closer to Fontaine Futuristics, they could make out the sign, corroded by sea-water but still legible. It was impossible to forget where they were, though; at least half of the plants they could see were glowing, orange and green and blue and red, and in the direction opposite Reflector, nearly hidden in orange seaweed, was another ‘Siren’, seemingly enjoying itself doing who-knew-what. Closer still to the building, Spike pointed out one of the Big Daddies, apparently welding part of the tunnel. One of the leaks vanished as it worked, and the creature gave no indications it saw them, making those strange wails and bellows to itself.

The lobby, when they reached it, was the same, mostly intact with flickering lights and strange glows. There was a large stairway, and a globe before that, over either a waterfall or a sea-opening. Spike and Carly edged around that, aware that it could hide any number of unwelcome things. There was another of the health stations, and Carly went over, not surprised when it turned out to be empty. This place was probably picked clean.

Spike followed her, ducking down as the speakers crackled again. He realized too late that there was more than too much space between them and the cassettes. It wasn’t safe. 

“ **Blankies come here to take over, get promoted! I don’t think so! I change my mind, you got this far, can be new employees and I’ll even let you live!** ” Alex shrieked as splicers poured from the air lock that was down the hall ahead, wielding explosives again. 

“ **Get them! Catch them alive! We’ll make administration out of them yet!** ” Alex devolved into shrieking and cackling wordlessly, so much that the speakers crackled and distorted it even more, as it was overshadowed by the splicers screams. 

“No you don’t!” Spike yelled, shooting as many as he could. There was just a _lot_ of splicers, and when they weren’t using explosives, they were electrifying everything around them, shooting indiscriminately. Splicers, it was clear, didn’t care about hitting their own.

The explosions took their toll on the damaged building, stairs and upper balconies giving way in a slow slump. The cassettes, at the foot of the stairs, fell as the stairs did, hole under the globe opening to the ocean. Spike and Carly fell, despite their efforts, and the splicers were on them in moments. One of them grabbing Spike’s arm to start dragging him away already, even as he scrambled and lashed out, struggling. 

“Time for a welcome party! Welcome party, welcome party!” the splicers yelled, seeming much too cheerful. “Welcome to the company, little Blankies!”

Carly kicked out even harder when she lost sight of Spike for the moment, dry heaving when one of the splicers kicked her in the ribs and another grabbed her foot to start dragging her. The weapons and bags were left, she realized, the splicers too keen on them to care about the things they’d brought. Even worse, she couldn’t see Rumble or Frenzy, calling out for anybody until there was a thump, her head cracking loudly on debris, and then darkness.


	5. Proof Is In DNA Pudding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who are enjoying this and all of the well wishes. They keep us motivated to keep trucking!

By the time Rumble and Frenzy dug themselves out of the rubble, there was at least three feet of water, and piles of concrete and rebar. “Oh, slag, slag. This is bad…” Frenzy muttered, scrambling up the piles of rubble and finding nothing more than the human’s packs. “Bro? You okay…?” Rumble was mostly out of the pile too, and looking around, with only a few dents.

“They’re all crazy! This place is crazy! I don’t _care_ there’s people here, we should have just shot everything and cracked the glass!” Rumble yelled, also pulling himself up the slanted balcony. “And then we wouldn’t be here, and then they wouldn't be here, and then we’d be… still… fighting… the Autobots. Like always.” He cycled his vents, and tossed a hunk of concrete into the water.

“I think we need to worry about the fact that that crazy guy is going to do who knows what to the humans, and then the Autobots are not only going to come after us, but the Boss’ll be pissed too! Not that…” Frenzy trailed off, frowning and then reaching for more rubble. Neither wanted to admit that they, also, were starting to like these two humans. 

“ **Come on come on!** ” Alex crackled over the speakers again, probably to the splicers, and why they weren’t broken, neither Cassette could fathom. “ **Or no promotions, only thumbscrews!** ” He cackled some more, spouting off more rabble about ‘Blankies’ and plasmids- and making ‘Fort Frolic’ proud. Who knew what that even meant. 

“Am I not trying to make a bit more of a path?” Rumble answered, tossing another hunk aside. “We shouldn’t have to do too much, at least. For the record? This bunch is worse than the last. They really are. At least have those explosions were started with _finger snaps_. What the pit is up with that slag?”

“And what are we going to tell Jazz? Oh slag, I hope he can’t see us…” Frenzy said, testing to see if he could fit through the hole Rumble had made. He got far enough to see the other side, and cycled his vents. “Or… that he can. Bro… I’m not completely sure where they went. Echoes are… weird down here…”

Rumble shivered. “‘Oh, sorry, the humans down here are crazier than slag, and we _lost the humans_ , mind not having every fragging Autobot out to shoot us?’ Yeah, let’s go with that.” He sighed, shaking his head and climbing through the hole as well. “There’s not many ways to go in this place. Should we, I don’t know-” he was cut off as the comms clicked. 

“ _Go straight, sugar,_ ” Grace said. “ _Your friend Jazz here is…trying to clear the tunnel with honeycomb down there. It’s pointless, but they won’t stop until you get the sugars back. Crazy Alex seems to want to splice ‘em to hell and back._ ”

“Straight. We can do that. We can! Um… Do ya… happen to know how much time we have, Grace?” Frenzy asked, looking around. There were… _cameras_ , he realized. He really should have noticed them sooner, though most of the lights they gave off were very dim. “...And they really, really can’t get past here. Splicers collapsed a tunnel, um, around that park? ...So we really hope there’s a way back if we go in a big enough circle…” Frenzy managed to get through the hole, then turned back to help Rumble through. “Um… and he’s not too angry with us… is he?”

There was a small pause, and then a chuckle. “ _Not angry, just concerned. Don’t worry about him, sweety, I don’t think music-man is one to take up devil dancin’. ...Take a right there._ ” Grace sounded amused, which was… not the most pleasant of anything. 

“That’s… great,” Rumble muttered, though he relaxed a little, and then adjusted the human bags against him- still warm, even if the Cassettes were damp from their fall, still. There was a hatch that came up, and it took Frenzy more time than it had Carly to get the slagging thing open. 

Up ahead, there was the echo of screams and splicer howls. At least it made it easy to follow, Frenzy thought. He wasn’t sure quite what they were going to do, apart from hope that Carly and Spike weren’t already messed up. That and shoot everything, of course.

“ **Look! The Daddies are coming for their Blanks! Will they still want them once they’re normal, I wonder? Let’s find out! Go welcome them to the company, or you’re all fired!** ” Alex snapped, speakers crackling. The Cassettes took the warning, bracing for the oncoming stream of splicers.

The Cassettes fell back as groups of the splicers came running from the next hatch, many of them sparking with even more power than before. “Look at the Daddies! Get ‘em!” one of the splicers screamed, another laughing and shrieking manically. There were shouts, guns pulled out, and more fire and electricity, one of the splicers leaping and climbing the walls. It was Rumble who saw and fired at the creature- there was no telling the sex, as it skittered towards them. 

But the small wave couldn’t live against the Cassettes’ armor, keeping them from burning or being electrocuted. Only the rockets could do damage, and in the thin hall, there weren’t many of them. 

The scene was more than a little horrific when they finished, organic parts spread over the halls and really only adding a layer. That was the worst part, Frenzy thought; that _this_ massacre was only one of the ones that seemed to have happened here. Humans did _not_ make sense to him.

“Come on. We’re here, we just… need to keep going,” Rumble muttered, though he clutched at Frenzy. Only for a moment; they both knew they couldn’t afford the limitation of movement. 

“ **Too late, Daddies. Too late! Blankies aren’t so blank any more…!** ” Crackling and cackling combined over the speakers, and the Cassettes didn’t even bother to share a look before hurrying forward.

They followed more of the screams, Rumble stepping ahead of Frenzy when they got close enough to the second hatch there. It opened, three more splicers attacking and getting taken out before they had too much of a chance to do more than fire off surprising ice and electricity, this time. 

“ **Argh! You’re all fired! Fired, I tell you! I tell you! Beaten by strange Daddies!** ” 

Even with the screaming rage, the splicers were suddenly sparse, singular or in pairs and triples as they made way through one of the tunnels, and ignored the screeching of ‘Crazy Alex’ about them and the ‘fixed’ humans, which was nerve wracking at best. 

In the close quarters, what splicers there were were fairly easy to deal with, which wasn’t to say that the Cassettes weren’t dinged and shaking a little from the electric shots by the time they heard moaning.The moaning wasn’t entirely unusual, but the tone sounded different, and the Cassettes looked around the door and into the room. Spike and Carly were there, as suspected, half hanging off some very dirty, worn laboratory beds. They were each working weakly at a leather cuff, and there were a dozen very dirty and large syringes in or around them.

“Oh, Primus. This is not good,” Rumble muttered, hurrying over, and then stopping. Neither mech was sure if it was _safe_ to take the needles out, or _what_. “...We gotta call for help… Slag. I hope we have enough stuff…”

“We aren’t hallucinating you, are we…? I. I mean. Carly, you see ‘em…?” Spike muttered, eyes completely unfocused. 

Carly twisted, hissing as the movement shifted the needles sticking through her arm and shoulders, and increasing the size of the blood staining her shirt. Her eyes were unfocused too, hair slicked with who knew what, and Frenzy wasn’t sure if she was staring at him, or through him. “...Mm. Yep. Hey, uh…” she stumbled over her words, shaking her head. “Frenzy…? Oh. Glad you guys’re okay. Worried ‘bout you.” There was a pause, then she shook her head once more. “...Could you pull those out of me? My fingers aren’t workin’ good.” 

“Um. Okay. Okay, we won’t be, like, makin’ it worse?” Frenzy asked. Rumble didn’t wait for the answer, pulling the nearest needle out of Spike. The leaking remains of some glowing liquid shifted in the syringe, and Frenzy frowned.

“We were… well, you were in more danger,” Rumble said, removing another needle. “We just got a few dings. Which, um. When you feel up to it, we have a dent popper…” Of course, it was the humans’ wounds which needed more attention, but _not_ making a deal of that seemed like a much better idea. “And, ah… think you’re gonna be able to stand?”

Carly gave a lopsided smile-thing that did not look the greatest, and made Frenzy cringe. “...Maybe,” she said, frowning then, and shoving an arm back to try pushing herself up. A moment later, and she ripped one of the syringes out with surprising force, throwing it across the room. It looked like she might be doing better, though. “I’ll pop your dents when the world stops spinning,” she added. 

“Right,” Frenzy said. “Let’s first get you… not bleeding.” He frowned, delicately tugging a different syringe out, while Rumble did the same to Spike again, and the other human sat up himself, making a soft sound. 

“Oh, I’m already… not bleedingish,” Carly answered, yanking out one more. “See?” She held out one arm, which was, as promised, only very sluggishly bleeding.

“Carly…? Do you see vodka there?” Spike asked, pointing at something before taking out the last needle.

“Oh. I thought that was still a hallucination…” she answered, looking at, apparently, the vodka. Frenzy twisted a little to see it, and his optics flickered a little. It was… a glass bottle, with Russian writing, sweating slightly on the table.

“There were… two people, kept talking weirdly, about us, and you and- they disappeared into thin air.” Carly groaned, then shifted and tried to stand, failing, the first time, though succeeding on the second, with Frenzy’s help. Spike had a harder time of it. 

The Cassettes were at a loss on how to handle the entire thing, especially when Jazz’s voice clicked across the comms. “ _You all okay? We lost you for a bit. I… we… had to stop digging when we nearly flooded the place. I’m hacking the place now, I’ll get total control._ ” 

Spike flashed a wry smile, but it was tired. “We’re totally fucked, I think. I don’t even know how much they pumped us with of that stuff.” 

“ _Ain’t enough to hurt you, sweeties,_ ” Grace answered. “ _It’s the over-use of Adam that really ruins the mind. The splicers you see been pumping themselves with dozens of doses a day for over two decades, in some cases. You seen them not-ghosts, though. I seen ‘em off and on, talkin’ riddles and playin’ fool._ ” 

“Oh. So that was real. So is there a reason my hands are on fire?” Carly asked, somewhat dreamily.

“Well, I see that too…” Spike muttered, reaching for the vodka and working at the cork. Rumble took the bottle from him and pulled the cork free before handing it back, and Frenzy started digging in the backpacks for the bandages he’d seen.

“Um... Maybe this is what she meant by ‘what splicing does’...?” Frenzy offered, pulling out the roll. He wasn’t, he thought, very fond of the older woman, no matter how nice she seemed. She hadn’t _explained_ anything, after all, not really, and he kind of thought it was her fault this had happened. If they had known, they wouldn’t have brought the humans!

Spike frowned and took a long swig of the alcohol, coughing and wheezing for a moment, before pouring a splash on his arm, where at least one long scrape was revealed under the blood and grime. He hissed in pain at the feel, and started to pass the bottle to Carly, only to pause as he remembered, kind of, that alcohol would not mix well with flames. 

“ _Course it’s what I meant, honey. I done did tell you. ...Snap your fingers, sweety, practice a bit, and then hit up a Gene Bank to see what crazy Alex spliced you with. Music-man’s closed him off with some magic voodoo here, he can’t get you right now, for a bit._ ” Grace chuckled, and Frenzy pointedly glared at the floor, not the cameras. 

Obeying, Carly did snap her fingers, letting out a breath when they fire vanished, letting her take the alcohol. She took her own drink, and then another, rubbing at her face. “ _Jazz? I’m… sorry. How long will we be, er, safe? Where’s the one she was talking about, ah-_ ” Rumble was cut off, and the comms clicked. 

“ _He’s… going to be taken care of,_ ” Jazz said, voice tight, and with Cybertronian tone that spoke pure anger and hate- not directed at _them_ though. “ _I have control of this section, for now. There’s an entire floor barely touched, back the way you came somewhat. It should be safe enough, if you can get there and up the steps._ ” 

“Safe? For safe, I will climb anything I have to!” Carly declared. Her statement was kind of ruined by how floaty she still sounded, but she shoved the alcohol at Frenzy and started trying to get a backpack on.

“You can carry that later,” Frenzy said, pulling the bag over and shrugging it on himself. The bandages were still in his hand, but that was okay. They could do those once they were settled, and this wasn’t a good place to settle. A moment later, and he just shoved the roll of bandages into subspace, which had just enough room. Spike, with Rumble’s help, managed to get to his feet. Once again, the Cassette was carrying the backpack, and both of them were more or less carrying the humans, too.

It was almost exasperating how much the humans were trying to do as the Cassettes made their way back. Trying to stand, even while carried, twitching and halfheartedly grasping for backpack straps. The Cassettes had to hand it to humans- they were stubborn. 

Luckily, Jazz’s commands were easy to follow, and both humans were nearly unconscious again by the time they made it to the largest space, a office- the office of the human that had owned the place, if the name was anything to go by. 

“Hey, First Aid said that if they got hurt we shouldn’t let them go to sleep, right? Does this count?” Rumble asked. He debated contacting Jazz again, but worried about upsetting the mech further- Jazz was special ops for frags sakes. They all knew it, and they all respected _that_. 

“That’s… for concussion…” Spike managed, nearly falling on an old couch. It had been plush, once, Frenzy was sure, but now… it was probably only barely better than the floor. “I have… no idea for this… shit.”

“It’s… okay to nap for, ooh… most addictive stuff…” Carly answered, taking the bottle of vodka back from Frenzy. She rinsed some more with it, took another sip, then offered it to Spike.

“Cap it. Don’t wanna get drunk here…” Spike answered, blinking a little. “Nap. ...No, bandages. Then nap. Then… th’ bank thingy…”

With washing apparently done, Frenzy helped Carly to the couch on the other side of the office. “We can do the bandaging. You can… rest or whatever, then, and… First Aid showed us how to do this!”

“Thanks for taking care of us, guys,” Carly murmured. “We appreciate it.”

“Yeah,” Spike added, smiling gratefully at Rumble, and then over at Frenzy. It was odd to see them being semi-cheerful. If either Cassette was in their place… well. There would be more panicking. 

But the humans weren’t panicking, even though they were bleeding, and they either didn’t _care_ or they were just that focused. Rumble, at least, would bet it was the latter of the two. Carly’s hair was a tangle of knots and gunk as Frenzy brushed it aside. She blushed when she had to take her shirt off, for him to reach the injuries underneath. “I’ll cut my hair after that nap,” she said. “Knew I should have done it before, but hoped.” 

“...I’m… sorry. I’d… offer, but I don’t… think we could clean it… Not really,” Frenzy said, going back to look at one of the knots. It looked quite insolvable, and he went back to bandaging. “...You don’t, um, have as many marks as I’d expect.” He and Rumble were sharing both the ointments they’d brought and what stuff had been found, but they weren’t going through _nearly_ as much as the Cassettes had expected to.

“Never did understand why half o’ you squishies have long hair. Not the havin! But… why not both sexes?” Rumble said, teasing. It wasn’t at all the time for it, but maybe it would keep the humans relaxed. Neither mech wanted to deal with panic; they were panicking enough on their own!

Carly laughed, but she looked to be doing better already. “It’s… social stuff,” she said. “Unfortunately, we’re still behind on equality, stuff like that. For… a lot of our past, women- we weren’t considered people. Still aren’t, in many cultures.” The statement startled the Cassettes, and the human continued after a pause. “Long hair on us, women, makes us more like decorations, especially when for much social cues, short hair is seen as better for certain labors- labors women aren’t welcome to do.”

“It’s stupid,” Spike said with a snort, agreeing and rubbing at his face. “I’ve never bought into that crap, myself. Explaining it to the Autobots was tedious. They couldn’t understand it, either.” 

“...But it makes sense. I mean, I wouldn’t expect humans t’ have a decorative class, but that… Explains summa what the prince said…huh,” Rumble paused, thinking, then shrugged. “...Though I don’t understand quite why you’d want ta keep the hair if it’s got all _that_ with it. But that don’t matter.”

“We’ll help ya cut your hair later, then,” Frenzy agreed, helping Carly get her shirt on. The humans were fairly well bandaged, and he was pretty sure he and Rumble could keep themselves busy while the humans napped. They hadn’t seen _anyone_ since finding Spike and Carly, after all.

Chuckling again, softly, and to herself, Carly leaned back and relaxed against the couch, Spike following suit. As expected, while they rested, the Cassettes were able to keep themselves busy. What they found was not the most pleasant. Who ever this ‘Fontaine’ guy was, he wasn’t a good person. There were documents of using prisoners as test subjects, of stealing, underhanded tactics, everything and anything that the Decepticons were against. 

It made Frenzy ill, and it made Rumble _angry_. 

And they weren’t doing well with it. Jazz was supposed to inform Prowl and those waiting on the _Nemesis_ about how they were doing. They couldn’t be quite sure, considering the mech was ‘taking care of’ the crazy splicer that was… in charge of others? Or something. That was part of why they weren’t surprised when Soundwave patched through to check on them, though they weren’t sure where the mech was at all. 

The conversation was a little hesitant, because the Cassettes weren’t sure just _what_ to say. They shouldn’t be here, they were in danger, but if they _hadn’t_ come, the humans would be dead, and wouldn’t help… anything. They also all knew that Frenzy and Rumble _couldn’t_ really try to process what they were doing or seeing. It was a liability that could not be allowed on a mission.

They’d deal with it later.


	6. Perhaps there is a Plasmid that can grow the spirit.

At one point, before the humans woke up, one of the things Carly called Sirens swam by the window. The thing did more than just move past, stopping by the window and watching for a long moment. The Siren almost looked like a femme, slender and graceful, and swam off after less than breem. Reflector stopped by as well, waving again, and sending an image over the comms, of something in a tank, pretty obviously dead. Alex, most likely, and Rumble nodded.

They took turns trying for a light recharge cycle, happy for the chance, but unable to really get that much rest. Rumble was still trying when Spike woke up first, sitting up stiffly and looking around to find the Cassettes. He _looked_ better to Frenzy, at least, less pale and tired, and stronger. It was still actually impressive to most Decepticons when a human did things like that- no medics, just recharge, and at times the organics popped right back, like crazy. 

“Oh good, you guys got some rest too,” Spike said quietly, checking on Carly, and then moving over to check Frenzy. It was almost like being looked at by a medic, the way the human studied him! 

“Some. We’re okay. ...We’re used to days that, um… two of your weeks,” Frenzy pointed out, grinning a little. “...You’re the one who’s been… stuck with stuff…”

Spike chuckled a little, and stretched. “Yeah. But I guess… Treat it like anything else addictive. It takes time for negative reactions to show up. Just, um… We’ll probably need help later. But… let’s worry about that _later_. Right now, my wife can shoot fire, we need to see what _else_ we can do, and on yeah, there’s some crazy-ass twins running around- wow. That’s, like, three sets of twins. And that’s… I’m hungry.” He shook his head, and started digging for the energy bars.

“We’re not like your organic twins,” Rumble muttered, giving up on recharge. Frenzy could feel that he felt a little better, and at least they knew that the horrible person who’d owned this place was probably gone. It did make revenge rather impossible, but that was life.

“No, but the concept is the same, right? For Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, they said it is.” Spike shrugged, chewing thoughtfully on the granola bar in his hand, finishing it in a few bites. “Ready to get those dents out? And get that spot on your leg patched?” he asked. 

“You up to that?” Frenzy asked in return, almost suspiciously. 

Spike chuckled again, and grabbed a bottle of water, taking a few swigs. “Yeah. I’m up to it. I actually… feel pretty good. ...Some of that’s probably the drug, I know, but… hey. Might as well fix you up and get going while I feel good?”

“Okay, then…” Frenzy agreed, pulling out the little dent puller, and some nanite gel. “The gel won’t hurt you, First Aid checked it. ...You could still use a glove, if you wanted.”

“Mm… Okay, th’ vodka was… a good idea…” Carly muttered, turning carefully on the couch. Rumble was there a moment later, putting a granola bar and the rest of Spike’s water within reach. “Ooh. Thank you, Rumble. Spike? Oh, patching…” She stretched, too, then grabbed the food. “...My hands are still on fire. But the food isn’t… heating. Huh.”

“Try snapping your fingers again. That’s what you did, right? Or did I imagine that?” Spike offered, moving to take the dent puller and then grinning at Frenzy. “No worries. You’re not the first mech I’ve fixed up.” 

Carly did snap her fingers, sighing in relief when the flames flickered out. Eating at her own granola bar quite quickly and then coming over, she grabbed for the nanite gel. “We fix the ‘Bots up all the time,” she said. “‘Aid always forgets that, though, I think.” 

“Well, this is of Decepticon make. Have to be careful, you know. Our nanites could eat squishies all up!” Rumble said, grinning. “Frenzy- well, Spike, has the only dent puller between us, so… you can start with the gel, if you’re… up to it. ...You look… not bad.”

“Aw, thanks. I look not bad! You know how to charm the ladies, Rumble!” Carly said, giggling a little and looking him over. She swiped some gel onto a long scrape, fingers soft against armor. “I feel… okay, though. Apart from my hand catching fire… It doesn’t hurt, it just… looks weird.”

Spike, working on the largest of Frenzy’s dents, laughed as well. “I just know I’m going to be more careful during arguments now. I do almost hope I got something, though… Silly, I know.”

“I don’t think it’s silly. Anything that can help with you guys not becoming any more injured, so that the Autobots don’t kill us, is good,” Frenzy said. 

“They’re not going to kill you because of us,” Carly answered with a roll of her eyes. 

“Really. They won’t,” Spike added, popping the biggest dent with an audible sound. Immediately, his fingers found the edges of the plate, and he was checking Frenzy for crushed components, or leaks. 

“But they might…! We _promised_ you’d be okay, and I guess somehow you _are_ right now, as long as that slag is safe like Grace said, but it’s weird, and… An’ we shoulda been more careful! Not get buried in rubble!” Frenzy insisted, honestly worried. They’d been at war for ages, and he was still surprised that Jazz had been willing to let the humans go alone with them at _all_.

Carly rubbed gel on the popped dent, then flicked Frenzy, carefully. “You’re being silly, now. I know enough about war and fighting to know that no-one can actually control the fight. Even your guys’ boss can’t do that, can he, and he can do all sort of weird shit!” she pointed out, while Frenzy’s optics were still flickering from surprise.

“Not to mention, we told them they weren’t allowed to be silly like that,” Spike added. 

Rumble frowned. “What do you mean you told them they weren’t allowed?” he asked. It was confusing, and the statement was weird. 

The man laughed at his confusion. “We told them, if we died down here, that they weren’t allowed to blame you two. We’ve been around the Autobots for years, we know how fragile we are, and that’s not your fault.” He shook his head, moving to another one of the dents to pop out. 

“But it _would_ be. We’re stronger than you…” Then again, the humans were more flexible, and demonstrably more resilient than either Cassette had expected. “Just… You gotta stay safe, okay?” Rumble insisted.

“Don’t worry!” Carly answered, grinning. “We don’t _want_ to get hurt, you know! ...And I have to admit, that ointment did work wonders. So, we might as well keep using it, I guess.” She shrugged, then put the gel aside and started looking around. There wasn’t much she could do while Spike used the only dent puller, after all. “Um… did either of you see one of those… Gene Bank things? Not that I even know what they look like…”

Frenzy nodded. “I might have, actually. By the stairs up here? Guess this Fontaine guy didn’t splice much…” That didn’t make much sense, from what they’d read about him, but Frenzy wasn’t going to think about it too much.

“So, we can hit that on the way down,” Spike said. “After we finish this… C’mer, Rumble.” He’d more or less finished on Frenzy, and Rumble had damage too. “The… balcony fell on you, didn’t it? Hopefully it’s not too flooded, I think the hatch we want was off that balcony…”

“Hopefully,” Rumble murmured. “...You two should fuel again before we go,” he added. “We don’t know when we’ll be able to stop again, and we don’t want you conking out because you didn’t fuel, of all things.” 

“Only if you do, too, at least a partial cube.” Carly crossed her arms. “You’re smaller, so you need to fuel more often, too, we know.” 

The Cassettes both cycled their vents a little, and then Frenzy nodded. “We… brought a little converter. But… yeah. It’s a good idea not to carry too much ‘gon…” He pulled two small cubes out, and glared a little at Rumble until his brother took one of the cubes.

“...I’m still feeling pretty good. Not really high. I’m surprised…” Spike commented, digging out more bars, since the mechs were fuling too. “Hm. If you brought a converter, I guess that means we have explosives too, if we need. I bet we could use those to flood out bits as we go, if someone doesn’t do it from outside.”

“...Only squishies would actually think to just _explode_ energon…” Rumble muttered, sipping at his cube. “...Bumblebee gave me a desalinator, too…”

“Well, we have to do what we can with what we have, that’s the law of nature,” Spike answered, grinning. “A Desalinator will come in handy, too.” 

Carly laughed as well, spreading nanite gel on her fingers after uncrossing her arms, when Spike finished Rumble’s few dents. She smeared it on him, too, careful to scrape it all off so it didn’t go to waste. “Everything can be an explosive if you try hard enough.” 

Frenzy laughed, and stood again, looking out the window. “I’m sure it can be. So… sure you’re ready? Once you eat, of course…” The humans were already half-way through their food, and sharing a waterbottle.

“Ready as you are,” Carly answered. “...As soon as one of you cut my hair. I have a knife, but it’s… kinda hard to cut your own hair…”

“Here, let me,” Rumble said, going to stand behind her. Carly handed him her knife with seemingly no hesitation, but of course, a blade wouldn’t make him any more dangerous than he was. A moment later, and he just started slicing through it, using the back of his hand as a cutting board when needed.

She cringed when the cutting didn’t seem to be going well, and when Spike snickered at them and started rifling through the nearby desk. He produced a pair of scissors after a moment, then walked over and started snipping. 

“That… was probably the better idea,” Carly admitted. She cringed again when the scissor jaws snagged her blonde hair, but seemed much happier when Spike had cut the longest of her hair from her. 

“Does that… hurt, by the way...?” Frenzy asked, watching. They’d always wondered some of things about humans, but had never been able to ask.

“Just when it tugs,” Carly answered. “But otherwise, no, not at all.”

“Wow. It… seems like it should…” Frenzy said. “...Then again, I guess long hair would be more… common, if it hurt…”

“Yup!” Spike agreed, finishing up and then shrugging before putting the scissors in his bag. “Might as well. Shitty, but free scissors.”

Carly ran a hand through her shortened hair, then tossed her head and stood up. “Okay. Off we go. Down the hall, down the stairs, see if there’s that bank thing, and back to the foyer, where we never should have spent so long looking around.”

“We had to go up the stairs anyway, Carly. We’re okay,” Spike said, standing as well.

Rumble took lead, and Frenzy followed behind, sandwiching the humans again in a manner that was pointed. In the process of heading down, they finished eating and drinking, tucking the emptied water bottle into one of the packs. It was luck that the weapons hadn’t been stolen or broken in the fight, but they were fine, and they had plenty of ammo and energy.

As suggested, there was a Gene Bank at the bottom of the stairs. Spike and Carly looked at it, while the mechs watched the entrances to the little hallway they were in. Spike approached first, studying the machine and then laying his arm where the diagram suggested.

“Motherfuck!” he hissed as a needle stabbed down. A moment later, information was slowly printed on the screen, with the ancient green font. “...Electrobolt… three? Er, telekinesis!? Human… Inferno? That doesn’t… Eve saver? Natural camouflage, what does… and Frozen Field. O-kay then. ...Oh. Watch instructional videos? Ah, yeah. We got time, right?”

“Yes. Videos. Yes, very much,” Carly agreed, looking over Spike’s shoulder.

There were only two videos, and neither was particularly helpful, though they _were_ kind of cute. There was nothing for the last four things Spike had apparently gotten injected with, and the little blurbs next to the names weren’t entirely helpful either. ‘Leave your foes in the cold’ wasn’t helpful, and neither was ‘the hottest Gene Tonic in Rapture!’

“Great. And I’m sure Grace will be _just_ as helpful as she has been,” Carly muttered, sarcasm dripping from her words. It made Spike laugh quietly. 

“I don’t like the thought of trial by fire, as you guys say,” Rumble muttered. “But between that and her, the first one might be better for your sanity. Which, by the way, any news on that front?” 

Spike snorted. “Other than the obvious? We came down here willingly. I’m pretty sure that would be admissible in court to point to insanity.” He shifted his bag and gun, and then looked around, spotting a camera and giving a wave. 

“Before we ask her, let me see what I have. Ugh…” Spike moved aside more fully, and Carly stepped up, shuddering as she looked at the machine. “I understand why needles, but… I didn’t like them _before_ this. And make sure to disinfect that, damn…” She didn’t see any way to disinfect the needle, and really felt like she had to know, and so lay her arm down, hissing as the machine struck.

“Right. It’s not too deep, at least,” Spike agreed, pulling out some antibacterial ointment and spreading it over his wrist. The bleeding had already stopped. “What you got?”

“Um… Incinerate three, so that’s why my hands burn… Electrobolt three too, huh. Extra Nutrition, Armored Shell, and … Lurker? I feel like they’ve mistaken me for an armadillo…” The video for Incinerate didn’t really help, as she’d expected, and Carly shrugged as she snagged the ointment. “Okay then. Jazz? Grace? Any help here?”

“ _I’m jus’ happy to hear your voices,_ ” Jazz said. “ _Grace is thinking. She isn’t as knowledgeable about ‘the tonics’ as she is ‘the plasmids,’ whatever that means. How you holdin’ up? Prime and Megs have been arguin’, Prowl says. Megs wants to drag you four out and blow the place._ ” 

“ _We’re… almost half way to the half way point, so to speak?_ ” Carly answered. “ _How about you flood the areas we’ve been in? The ones with no one left? That a good concession?_ ”

“ _Anyway, there was a collapse between here and… Siren Alley? Somewhere there. An’ we can’t reach the train station here. ...And those splicers flooded the way back to Dionysus Park, too…_ ” Rumble added.

Frenzy nodded, though it was fairly useless. “ _And, you can tell Megatron, your humans won’t leave. Not while there’s people._ ”

Jazz chuckled over the comms. “ _I’ll have to ask about floodin’ behind ya. Sounds like the alley and that park should be safe to go. And the place you’re in, soon as you find a good airlock. He’ll probably be okay with that._ ”

There were nods and then they started move again. It made sense, as far as either Cassette could imagine, letting the others destroy and flood what they could as they went. They were, a little, surprised that Megatron was concerned about them- well, maybe more surprised that he might be concerned about the humans. But the mech had never shown real concern about them as Cassettes. 

Maybe it was Soundwave? ...Or maybe it was just Autobot-sentimentality at work. They were reminded of the short conversation with Soundwave, not that long back, and the humans remained blissfully unaware. 

Thoughts were cut off when they’d made it back to the rubbled area. “How are we going to get back now?” Rumble asked, looking around. They could _see_ the hatch they needed, but there were no more stairs, and it looked like everything was falling apart even more. 

“Oh, see, I told you,” Carly said to Spike, smirking and taking her backpack off, before she started pulling stuff out of it. They could see flashes of metal and bright colored cording, and then straps- it looked familiar, at least to Frenzy, but he wasn’t sure where to place it. 

“Yeah, yeah. You’re leading?” Spike agreed, taking the straps and fiddling with them.

Carly stepped in to what was revealed to be a harness and shrugged a little. “Well, I’m better at opening hatches. And it’s _my_ climbling stuff,” she answered, first tightening the harness and then checking over the cording. “Hey, Rumble, Frenzy, not to be rude but… how much would you say you weigh?”

“Err…” Rumble and Frenzy looked at each other, and then Rumble shrugged. “Less than a ton, I know. Maybe around… seven-eight hundred pounds? We’re less than it seems, but… is that, er, a problem?”

“Nope!” Carly answered, pulling another hank of cord and checking it. “This is rated to five hundred pounds, but two ropes and two anchor points should be fine. And the balconies fell at an angle, so you might be able to take some weight that way. The pulling is going to be more interesting.”

“We can hitch with three ropes to be certain,” Spike said. “And use one of the pulley rigs we brought.” He tied a thick knot around one of the metal bits that they’d brought, and moved with Carly to the rubble. 

Looking at each other, again, this time Frenzy spoke first. “Isn’t that dangerous?” he asked. 

“It’s fine,” she said, already starting to climb the sheer rubble face, where the steps once were connected. At first it didn’t make sense why she’d brought rope and who knew what else. She reached the top of the rubble, though, where there were no handholds, that they could see. That was when the human pulled out more metal bits, and a hammer, and started nailing a number of them, as high as she could reach, into the wall. 

“How are those going in? Easy?” Spike asked. She nodded, but didn’t answer, and then they realized she was starting to climb the metal bits, using different sizes to actually attach the harness to with rope, rope that Spike held the end of in gloved hands. The human was fragging making her own steps. 

“Wow. That’s… more than a little, um… Useful…” Frenzy said, changing words mid-sentence. It was _crazy_ , but in a good way! It just didn’t… feel right, joking about ‘crazy’ down here. “Where’d ya… We were gonna use rockets, but… those are loud an’... we’re not that great at narrow openings…” They could probably _reach_ the hatch, but actually getting _into_ the hatch would be a whole different ordeal, and the noise would probably call every splicer left in the building!

“How else did you, mm, think we climbed mountains?” Carly asked, pausing a moment to look down at the Cassettes. “And no rockets. We’ll just pull you up and not lose our hearing.”

“...I forgot you had those…” Spike added, laughing a little. “I’m on the side of not losing hearing, though.”

Frenzy’s optics flickered. They’d forgotten humans losing hearing from too much loud noise, too! He paused, then frowned. “What made you think of bringin’ this stuff?” he asked. 

“Well. There’s been a couple times we’ve gone out with Hound, ended up stuck someplace until one of the guys could get to us. Just in case, we didn’t want that to happen. Plus, it didn’t add too much weight, and, you know… better safe than sorry.” Spike took a few more step back, testing the rope in his hands, and then stopped. 

Carly turned to check where she was- or at least, that was what they assumed, and then started shifting where she was placing the metal bits. “Not to mention, if one of you guys got hurt, we wanted to be able to have ways to get you out, or at least to a place one of the guys could break in and grab out, or something.” 

“Oh. That… makes sense…” Frenzy agreed, still frowning a little. It was almost embarrassing to realize that the humans had thought about _them_ being weak. Then again, he reassured himself, they were used to Autobots.

“Umm, Spike? I… don’t know all that much about humans, well, I thought I did, but after this, what I mean to say is! You’re kind of… fading into the background there. And I’m not sure how, but your clothes are too- oh.” Rumble’s optics flickered, this time a sign of him changing filters, and he added, “There it is. Light is bending around… your EM field, I guess? I don’t know… You got those, right? I mean, not that we can really feel…”

Spike turned, very slowly, kind of, fading back into sight without the filters. “Uh… no? I mean, I shouldn’t be, I mean… oh. This must be one of those things they stabbed me with…” he frowned, looking back at Carly, who had paused again, frowning as well. 

“I think we have fields, but I have no clue about them,” she called down. “Wasn’t one of the things that it said you had called camo? Camouflage, then. That’s kinda cool- useful, maybe, too.” She was getting closer to the top hatch, as slowly as she was going, and she looked tired, but, as they were finding with these humans, stubborn. 

“I guess so, but wow. _How_ am I going to explain this topside? ...We’re gonna have to try some of these out, if possible, and if Grace doesn’t get back to us…” Spike said, looking at his arm. He didn’t move, letting the camouflage take effect, and then experimented, a little, with what motions seemed to break it. He could manage small ones, but anything big snapped him back to visible light.

“Guess you’re goin’ have ta develop, what’s it called… ticks? Whatever makes ya move a lot,” Rumble suggested, optics flickering back to normal. “So… what are we going to do once Carly reaches the top, then? You haven’t explained much about ‘lines’.”

Spike made a face, which was actually funny, and cute. “Right. That’ll be great.” He paused, then called up, “Hey, if I develop a nervous tick, are you going to divorce me?” he asked. 

“Of course not!” she immediately shot back. “It’d be a great, new, way for you to irritate my mother.” 

Brightening, and then sobering, Spike grinned. “Well. When she gets up there, she’ll slam in some anchor points and set up some pulleys. Then we’ll tie some lines and use lifting straps to pull you up. _Then_ one of us will climb back down, pulling out the anchors over there, and get lifted back up.” As he spoke they followed some of it, but then they lost him again. 

“So… right. She’ll shove stuff in the ceiling, which is thankfully _not_ glass there. I can handle that!” Spike and Carly knew what they were doing, which was really the biggest thing to the Cassettes. They could learn by watching! “...What’s… divorce? We figured out married, because the Stunts like squishy soaps more than they admit, but divorce never made sense. Other than Demitri moving out to live with Evelyn…”

“We had a trouble figuring out why Evelyn didn’t just move in with him and Melissa, too. I mean, sure, I guess you don’t do that, but…” Frenzy shrugged, because it didn’t matter that much, and why not talk about ‘As the Kitchen Sinks’ while they were waiting?

Spike turned again, blinking. “I cannot tell you why, for any of that, as I don’t watch that stuff. But a divorce is when two people break up and end a marriage. Like, some people get divorced if they don’t love each other any longer.” 

“We just joke about it,” Carly added, finally dragging herself onto a ledge and taking a breather. “Hound and ‘Raj hate it when we do. Then again, he and ‘Raj love soap operas, and they both were more emotionally invested in our wedding than we were. You guys prank, right? Just ask about me and Spike planning on eloping. They nearly blew relays when Sides and Sunny did.” She moved to start opening the hatch, grinning down at them. 

“Aaah… That… makes a bit more sense…” Rumble said, thoughtfully. “And you’re terrible people to suggest we torment your friends like that.” He watched Carly dig into her pack and grab more water, taking a glug before putting it back. “And anyway, we’re already on their bad side. ...Then again, they can’t be as fast as Seekers. ...Or as vindictive…”

“I _told_ you not to replace Starscream’s wax with crazy glue. Or with resin. Or whatever you used,” Frenzy answered, as though he’d been completely innocent in the matter.

“You did _what_ to Starscream? Like… even _we_ know how he is about wax…! Mostly because Sunny told us…” Spike said, laughing at the idea.

“Well, now we get to tease him about divorcing what’s his name. The one you use like a taxi. ...Kinda a pity, he seemed cool…” Rumble said.

Spike rolled his eyes. “Skyfire,” he said. “And yes, we are terrible. You should pick on ‘Raj and Hound, but leave Skyfire alone. He’s too nice to pick on, even for _Sunny,_ and that’s saying something. Not to mention, I think the poor guy still has feelings for Starscream.” He waited until Carly had tossed him another line of rope, before adding, “Hell, you could probably pick on Optimus, though he might actually prank you back.” 

“That’s not nice,” Carly scolded from above. For a moment, the Cassettes thought she was scolding _them_. But then Spike grinned back sheepishly. “Optimus _will_ prank you back,” she explained. “There’s no ‘might’ about it. I know you guys see him as a big fluffy bunny, but the guy can be competitive if he wants.” 

“... _Optimus_? There is _no way_ he pranks…!” Rumble insisted. Carly just shook her head, and his optics brightened. “He _does_? But… But that would be like _Megatron_ pranking, and…”

Frenzy chuckled, and only grinned at Rumble’s glare. “Sure, Megatron’s not pranked… that we know, and we know a lot, but… he’s _totally_ helped us before. Or at least not got in our way. That’s almost the same, you know. And the Siren’s back…” He waved a little at the shape, which was already swimming away. “Those things are… weird, you know? How much longer we gonna be here?”

“I’m almost done,” Carly said. “And I know- it’s… odd. I don’t like it either.” 

Probably in an attempt to lighten the mood, Spike sighed. “At least it’s not trying to hurt us the way the others have. And, yes, Optimus pranks. He once even did a horrible prank involving one of these horrible sci-fi movie monster things and a tub of slime for Halloween last year. Scared the bejeezus out of some new Autobots coming in from some other planet. They nearly had pump failure.” 

“It’s not, but…” Frenzy shook his head. “...I still don’t think I believe you. Optimus can’t prank. He’s too… _him_ ” Despite his effort to play along with Spike’s teasing, he was watching the windows now, and the stairs. What Jazz had done, it seemed to be keeping them safe here, but… it wasn’t wise to trust the automatons of this ruined city.

“I wouldn’t mind hearing more about the monsters and slime, though,” Rumble agreed. “We did a bucket of slime, once. ...Caught Dead End. Actually felt a little bad about that…”

“Want to bet?” Spike asked, and he looked serious about it. Frenzy almost choked on the thought of how the human might prove it. 

“What would you even bet on?” Carly asked, throwing down another rope that was hooked to a second line. Neither Cassette knew what she was doing, but it looked complicated, and it didn’t help when Spike started tying the ropes to what looked like a big piece of weird metal mesh. 

Shrugging, Spike glanced at them, then grinned. “Dunno. ...And, okay, which of you wants to go first?” 

The twins looked at each other, and then Rumble shrugged. “I guess I will. Might as well. What do I…?”

“On the mesh. You probably want to sit,” Spike answered. “Here, Frenzy, help me pull. We have to go at the same speed, so… I don’t think any of the stuff I got made me stronger.” He grinned, and Frenzy still couldn’t understand how the humans could _joke_ about being forcibly injected with some unknown addictive mutagen.

“Got it,” Frenzy agreed, shaking off his thoughts. Rumble poked at the mesh, then carefully sat on it, reaching down to hold on. He wasn’t sure if he could hold the cords, and so he didn’t.

Slowly, he started to rise, though it was probably quicker than he might have expected. Rumble didn’t like it, at all, keeping his optics on Carly and not the ground that was getting farther and farther away. 

“You okay?” Carly asked him, holding another rope, probably to keep him from swinging, he realized. 

“I, um… sure. Okay. Just don’t let me fall…” Rumble answered, not looking away from the human, or the hatch.

“...Bro, you been higher than that…” Frenzy called up, somewhat startled. He watched carefully, and it was easier than he’d feared, going at Spike’s speed. He just wasn’t sure why Rumble was sounding so shaky…!

“Yeah, when I’m _flyin’_! Can’t do that here… it’s different! An’ _no_. I dun like it!” Rumble answered. Carly offered her hand as soon as he was close enough, and he took it eagerly.

“I got you,” Carly said, voice dipping into a tone that they hadn’t heard before. She kept her hold on his hand even when he was finally high enough to step onto the ledge. He didn’t like it _at all_. “Just stay facing the hatch, if that helps,” she added, stepping around to give him a barrier between Rumble and the edge of the ledge. “You going to be okay if I leave you to go down, so we can get Frenzy up?” 

“I, um… yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. ...It’s not like it’s even far! Th’ boss is taller!” Rumble answered. He didn’t look back towards the opening, though. “I don’t know why this is even…” He cycled his vents and looked around, since that was about all he could do.

“He will be okay,” Frenzy added, trying to comfort Rumble over their twin bond. “Though… if we can hurry, it’s probably the best idea.”

“I’ll go down as quick as I can,” Carly said, moving to the edge to climb down and collect her step pieces. It was much quicker, and before Rumble could complain too much, she was there with Spike, holding one of the ropes so Frenzy could sit, and holding the other rope to keep it from swinging. 

Frenzy giggled, though he did try to hold still. “I don’t think this is bad, at least. I mean… It’s kinda fun…! ...Sorry, bro…”

“It’s… okay, Frenz’,” Rumble answered, still not really facing the open area. “You can enjoy it…” A moment later, and Frenzy was climbing into the hatch way, and hugging Rumble without any shame. By now, they weren’t worried about the humans seeing it. It would be very silly to worry about that!

While the twins took their time for comfort, Spike shifted the mesh to just one rope, like a sling, while Carly slipped a foot in and grabbed for the rope. “I’ll get you up there, and then you can flip the pulley and go for me,” he said, while she nodded. 

“Sounds good. This has taken way too much time, already. It makes me nervous.” Carly answered when Spike started pulling the rope. She looked like she was going to fall, but then straightened.

“Yeah…” Frenzy agreed, pulling away from Rumble and looking down the hallway himself. It was somewhat more industrial, and a bit tighter than the airy glass ones. It also said ‘maintenance’ on the wall, which explained that. “I guess Jazz’s really got this area down, but…” The hallway was wide open, and there was no reason for it to be empty of splicers.

“Do you think this hatch is air-tight?” Rumble asked. “If they’re going to be smashing the ceilings in…”

“We’ll take a look once it’s closed,” Frenzy answered, turning back to help Carly up.

“We brought a small can of sealant, if not,” Carly mentioned, twisting the pulley so that they could pull Spike up, finally. “Hey, Frenzy? Would you rather pull him up, or unhook the other rope and re-wrap it?” 

“Pull,” Frenzy answered immediately, taking the line while she moved over to immediately start taking care of the rope. They just had that section, and then they’d be fine.

Frenzy tried not to pull too fast, and helped Spike over once he was close enough as well. Somehow, the Cassette wasn’t sure how, they managed to recover the tools they had used to get up here, and Carly closed the hatch, much to Rumble’s relief.

“Well, it looks tight to me…” Carly said, studying the edge. Frenzy looked too, and nodded.

“Yeah. I’ve learned how to tell _that_ on the _Nemesis_. It should hold,” he agreed.

Spike nodded, and the two humans took Frenzy’s words at value, before Carly moved to take lead. They had lost Spike’s map, but there were so many lying everywhere, they were certain to find another, and probably quickly. 

“That took longer than we planned climbing might need,” Carly muttered, damp with sweat. It was… odd. Human biology was _weird_. Hopefully, they wouldn’t need to do that again. 

Ever. 

Behind them, they could hear, faintly, the thudding that might be expected of a mech breaking glass. There was no way, with the hatch closed, to see anything, and the Cassettes didn’t mention it. The appearance of the splicers was almost routine, but Spike and Carly reacted before they did much more than scream, with Carly snapping her fingers and igniting a splicer, with Spike shooting the other.

“Okay, I have _got_ to figure out that ‘electro bolt’ thing. Your hands goes on fire, shouldn’t mine- Holy shit!” Half-way through Spike’s comment, sparks crackled around his hand, and Frenzy yelped too, one jumping to him.

“Shit! I’m so sorry, Frenzy!” Spike said, jumping back and smacking his hand against his bag on impulse, as though it would stop the sparks. 

“Try snapping your fingers,” Carly reminded, giving her own hiss as a spark hit her as well. 

Spike squeaked and obeyed, sighing in relief when it did help, and the sparks stopped for the moment. “...Right. ...Okay, so that’s a thing...” 

“So we… switch by thinking about it? ...That actually… kind of makes sense…” Carly said. A moment later, and she zapped a near-by puddle. “Huh. Feels… different from the fire. Now it’s just those ones without training vids we gotta work out! And… did you give that telekinesis a try?”

“And before ya worry ‘bout the shock… Er, just don’t direct it towards us? But that little zap didn’t hurt,” Frenzy comforted Spike.

“Y-yeah, right,” Spike said. He paused, looking at a hand, and then shook his head when sparks of electricity arced. A moment later, they flickered out, and then a chunk of debris was sent flying down the hallway. Looking at his hand, he wiggled his fingers and looked at another chunk, waving said hand and sending it flying even further. 

“That’ll be useful,” Carly commented. “Especially if we hit more rubble filled areas.” 

“Yeah. You’ll have to play with those! Er… if it’s… safe…” Rumble agreed, looking down the hallway. “...I think… It’s the syringe things that have the bad stuff? I don’t know. Grace hasn’t gotten back to us…”

Spike shrugged. “Well, I’m calling it safe. Otherwise we’re probably in more trouble than we can get out of. Anyway, she _did_ say we were safe. I have to say, though, I am getting _very_ tired of corrosion and salt-water. I bet half the reason everyone went balmy was just because they were _under the ocean_...”

“Oh yeah, humans don’t do well without the sun, do you?” Frenzy said. “I mean, we live under the sea and it’s… salty, but…” 

“Yeah, it can send us spare without it, or at least, some type of real light. This neon is no bueno,” Carly muttered. “I can’t even imagine how many down here were low on the alphabet of vitamins even below this chaos happened. They wouldn’t last much longer, even without us now…” 

“That… actually makes me feel a little better…” Rumble said. “I know you… don’t think the most of us, but _none_ of us actually… like destroying cities that much. Even if ya are squishy.” They _would_ , clearly so, but that was in the process of restoring Cybertron. Just destroying for no reason- of course, this wasn’t no reason. If news of the Adam here, that let humans do such amazing things, got out… Rumble thought of a whole planet, full of ‘people’ like these splicers, and shivered, Frenzy following.

“That’s a horrible thought, bro. Don’t worry. We won’t let that happen…” Frenzy said, patting him before moving on to pass Spike. They were still trying to keep the humans between them, even if there wasn’t much reason for it now.

The humans glanced at each other, then Spike shook his head. “Believe it or not, but… we know that. I mean, we’ve noticed that you guys don’t go out of your way, you know, to squish us.” 

Frenzy’s optics flickered, and he was startled by the statement, even as the humans looked at each other again. 

“That’s part of why we’re here, you know? And, we know, most of you ‘Cons have had the chance to kill either me or Spike, and you didn’t. Even when, tactically, it would slam them, honestly. Get rid of the fluffy pets, you know.” Carly shrugged. “We get it. The ‘Bots think we don’t, but we do- we aren’t kids anymore, like when we first started trying to tag along with them, be useful…” 

“Well… knowin’ they’d… go soon anyway _helps_ , anyway, so… Um. Thanks,” Rumble repeated. Neither Cassette was at all sure how to handle the fact that the humans had noticed things that they weren’t sure the _Autobots_ had. Then again, it had been the humans at risk…

“Hey, we were tryin’ ta hit that Fort thing, right? Because it’s that or Dionysus again, but I think it’s… flooded by now,” Frenzy asked, rubbing grime off a sign. “Oh! Lookit, it’s a little map here! I think. Crazy glass that hasn’t broken, but they couldn’t stop corrosion! What?”

“Oh, no, that rarely gives out,” A voice interrupted, male, and sophisticated. 

“In the last place it did-” Another said, female, and equally sophisticated, as well as bright. 

“That place, they didn’t discover Adam.” There was a chortle, and they turned to see two humans sitting above, in the workings of the maintenance hatch. Light colored, clean clothing stood out against the grime of _Rapture_ , and their own humans. 

Carly and Spike tensed next to them, but the other two just watched for a moment, and then the woman smirked. “In that place, they didn’t have the metal ones, either.” 

“Correlation?” 

“Causation?” 

“Maybe both.” 

“Wow. I thought the, ah, headache was just caused by the shit in me…” Spike muttered, looking up at the two.

“Well, it certainly didn’t help,” the lady said. “But that’s not very nice of you to say.”

“Thank you for the help, then. Since you’re… real…” Carly said, blinking a little. “...And the vodka.”

“Vodka? Was that now?” the man asked, looked at the lady, who really did seem to be his twin.

She shrugged, and motioned at Carly. “I suppose it is. Does that mean it’s tea-time?”

Rumble frowned, confused, especially when Spike made a face. “Tea time? Who are you, the March Hare and Mad Hatter?” he muttered.

“They’re probably closer to Cheshire cats,” Carly said quietly. 

“Rude again! This is not that story.” The woman laughed, though. 

“Though I do think the dear lamb would make a lovely dormouse,” the man mused. “Oh dear, should we tell her?”

“Well we could. Are you going to dismiss their rudeness?”

“Well, I thought it was time for tea,” he answered, motioning down the hall.

Spike shrugged and looked at Rumble. “These two, ah, are the ones who loosened our bindings? Guess you kind of noticed that. I’m, um, not sure why they’re here now…”

“If we’re here, we’re not in other places,” the woman said. “I’m Rosalind, by the way.” 

“And I’m Robert,” the man added. “But we just thought to check on you before you head into the artist’s domain. Cohen may be dead-” 

“-But his art remains. Next time, we’ll bring you something. Maybe cheese?” 

“Ah, yes! To go with their whine!” 

They chuckled, and Carly glared. “Yeah,” she muttered, tugging Frenzy with her, even as he looked even more confusedly. “Like I haven’t heard that one from my _grandmother_.” 

“And who do you think taught her?” the lady said, laughing as Carly and Spike tugged the Cassettes away.

Once they were a few turns away from the strange pair, Spike stopped and eyed the wall, before deciding to hit his head against Rumble instead. “I think I see why Grace was… annoyed by them. At least they’re not horrible…”

“...Okay, but… can you not… hurt yourself on me?” Rumble said, trying to grab Spike. The human didn’t seem to be hurting himself, not really, but… They weren’t supposed to be self-injurious!

“I figured it would be better than the wall,” Spike muttered, but he stopped, at least. Rumble was happy enough about that. It was frustrating already that they couldn’t understand _these_ humans, let alone the strange ones! 

“They talk weird. It’s uncanny value to the nith degree,” Carly added. 

“We noticed. Um… don’t blame ya for havin’ a headache after that…” Frenzy answered, shrugging a little. They _had_ been weird...

Spike gave a little laugh, starting forward again. “Now imagine that when you’re half-gone on- can you guys even get high, of anything? I’ve heard rumors of ‘high grade’, but that sounds more like alcohol than anything…”

The Cassettes chuckled. “Yeah, that’s like your alcohol. We do have illicit drugs, if that’s what you mean,” Frenzy said. 

“Boss don’t allow it, but ‘for we joined him we did screen off and on. I think that’s the equivalent of the green leafy thing you guys have?” Rumble added. “I don’t want to think of any of this while on anything, for that matter.” How were these humans even- of course, because they were humans, and very little seemed to get to them. 

“Wow. I… can’t say I’m surprised he’d not allow it, though,” Carly said. She patted Spike, and then started walking again, taking lead. “Let’s just get through this so we can get done and- hopefully- not have to have a bullet to the head, okay?”

“Yes. Yes, no shot to the head. Please. And thank you,” Spike agreed. “Although I might ask about that whole ‘before you joined him’, at some point, if that’s okay. Not now…” 

Rumble shrugged, then nodded. “Sure. You can ask, and we’ll even answer some.” He grinned a little as Spike brightened, and Frenzy actually thought this would be fun. It had been a long time since they felt safe enough to talk about such things. It was okay waiting, though, and then kept walking, taking out the occasional splicers with just enough regularity and difficulty to be annoying.


	7. The Little Sisters are getting older... which is troubling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are sorry for the hiatus, and humbly hope that you will accept this next chapter.

They paused only once when they reached the Fort, peeking through the porthole windows into the flooded space. They could see the ocean having taken up the space, thick with humanoid pale figures. 

“I don’t want to know,” Frenzy said, tugging Carly along when another, or the same, Siren appeared in the distance. Rumble did the same, pushing Spike along when the human tried to stay and look around. 

“How are you two on energy, by the way?” Rumble asked, distracting worriedly. 

“Mm… I could use some lunch,” Spike answered. Carly frowned, only to brighten a moment later.

“I was going to say I was fine. Then I realized that I shouldn’t be, and _then_ I realized I think I’ve figured out what ‘extra nutrition’ means. Which… I guess it’s useful here…” she answered. “I have a feeling it’s going to haunt me when I get on land, though.”

“...I’m going to have some lunch, though. And you should have some water,” Spike answered, and Carly nodded.

“I don’t want to know, either, how that stuff has made it so you need less fuel,” Frenzy muttered. He led them to a side alcove to sit, though, pulling out an energon cube to share with Rumble. He watched with interest while Spike pulled a small packet from his bag, one of the fuel things that wasn’t a little rectangle bar, and started mixing things with it. 

Rumble made a face when the human mixed two of the packets together and heat was produced. Spike stuffed another pouch into the warmth, and opened another packet of… crackers? Human food was strange. He offered one to Carly, who took it while sipping her water. 

She looked at the food, then shrugged and took one. “Not exactly hungry, but… yeah. I should at least have some. Never sure when we’re going to have time…”

“Yeah. Fuel when ya got a chance,” Rumble agreed. Then, a bit hesitantly, he added, “This is… a bit like the ruins of Tarn.”

“The ruins of Tarn? That’s one of your cities, right?” Carly asked. She frowned, then reached out and rubbed his arm, a very human gesture and offer of comfort. From the way these two acted, one wouldn’t expect them to be enemies. It brought up the question if the humans always acted this way. 

“It was. We were sent there to… well, help organize the disaffected after Kaon fell. It… led to war on the streets, but not as… flashy as Kaon. In Kaon, the Towers _fell_. In Tarn… they’re still standin’. ...There were even Empties, though they didn’t attack as much…” Frenzy explained, as Rumble scooted a little closer to Carly, carefully.

“...Gonna be a pain takin’ in back,” Rumble commented, shrugging a little. “...Maybe th’ ‘Bots’ll help us, though…”

“If we could, can, we will too,” Spike said, taking a bite from the now opened, steaming, packet of mixed brown _stuff_ , and then offering it to Carly. 

“And we can convince them, I’d bet- at least ‘Bee and a lot of the others,” Carly added. “I mean, really, they hate fighting you guys as it is…” 

“...Assuming that slag doesn’t hurt ya… ya actually _could_ be helpful. I mean, ah… ...I’m gonna shut up…” Rumble said, ducking away.

“They don’... like fightin’ us? ...Tha’s… nice ta know…” Frenzy mused, watching the two eat. Spike ate more than Carly, which wasn’t a surprise, really, while Rumble and he shared the energon between themselves.

“No, they don’t,” Carly said as she drank down a full bottle of water and then repacked their bags while Spike finished the rest of the meal. 

It was the end of that conversation, kind of, with Carly rubbing at Rumble again when they started getting ready to move. “Let’s get through this first, yeah? We can rest for the… night? Whatever, when we get closer to the ‘Heights.” 

“It’s… already evening, locally, but here is about... seven hours, um… ahead? Of where you were? So I think it’s noonish for you? And I don’t really think they follow, or followed, local time here. Partly because we’re in the area that swings between three hour days and three hour nights…” Frenzy answered, shrugging. “This is also an area that doesn’t speak your language, natively.”

“Lovely,” Carly said, chuckling quietly. “That explains some of the jet lag,” she said. “Though it’s odd, really. It’s not as bad as I’d have expected.” 

“Well, we have traveled a lot with the ‘Bots,” Spike reminded her, to Rumble’s amusement. 

“Told ya, think? The city’s not really on local time. ...An’ these things ain’t carin’ ‘bout day or night, neither, I bet…” Frenzy said. “In any case… Those ‘Heights sound good for a stop.”

Nodding, Carly moved ahead, checking out one of the side tunnels, but only for a moment, before returning back to the group. “Collapsed,” she said. “I think it used to lead to that Fort place, or something. But we’re almost there, I think…” 

Spike shifted, then hummed quietly. “I’ll be happy to at least not have that Siren out there, following,” he commented, gesturing to the window, to where the ‘siren’ was swimming nearby. It was not a great sight. 

“Well… at least it ain’t makin’ that weird noise…?” Rumble offered, shrugging a little. “Though… yeah. I’m pretty sure it’s watchin’ us…” They hadn’t seen Reflector since Fontaine’s, either, and walking through the remains of… Rumble thought that Fort Frolic had been a shopping area of some sort. It wasn’t fun, though. _None_ of this was fun, of course, but…

Frenzy stopped a moment, going over to the window and then waving curiously. The thing watching them gave a little wave back, then flipped in the water and swam off on a tangent, until the form was lost in the dimness of the ocean. He shivered as he came back. “Okay… I probably shouldn’ta done that. How… much further, ya think?”

“Not too long,” Spike said. “A few hours at most, probably? It looks like these tunnels are bypassing a lot of the turns and stuff, so that’ll take off loads of time.” 

“It’s okay, bro,” Rumble said. “We’ll get out of here, all of us.” He glanced at the humans, sharing a look. They… were already growing attached, and yet, who knew how long this would last. They weren’t even yet to the place that Grace had called ‘safe.’ The Cassettes very much doubted that it would really be safe, especially with the way this place was. 

Carly smiled as she pat Frenzy. “Don’t worry. It could be worse. At least it waved back and didn’t, I don’t know, attack us.” 

Frenzy gave a little smile, then nodded. “Yeah. And given that attacking would have flooded this… ...Let’s just… go, okay?” They already were, which helped. Frenzy was remembering just why he and his brother had accepted Soundwave’s offer so long ago; neither of them really liked being that independent.

“Hey, and… if ya want, we can carry ya,” Rumble added. They didn’t seem to need it yet, but they could always carry the humans if they needed sleep and there wasn’t a safe place to do that.

Smiling again, Carly shook her head. “Thanks, but we’ll be okay. We don’t want to impose that on you guys.” She glanced at Spike, and he chuckled quietly as well. There was something there that the Cassettes weren’t aware of, though it didn’t really matter that much. 

“Well, the offer’s there, jus’ in case. I don’ think it’s imposing anythin,’” Rumble answered. He exchanged his own, this one nervous, glance at Frenzy, but his twin was fairly hyper focused on watching Spike slip down another side hall and back with a shake of his furred human head. That area was cut off, too, then. 

“We’ll tell you if we need it, okay?” Spike said, still grinning. “And so far the good news is that these flooded areas seem to be smaller than the main tunnel we’re in, so… we should at least be safe to the Heights.”

There didn’t seem to be much more to say after that, and so the group fell more or less silent. It was safer anyway, with the faint sounds of gibbering echoing through the shaft. In time, probably about an hour, the tunnel dead-ended at a hatch, and Carly moved forward with a little sigh.

“It could be worse,” Spike said gently. “We could’ve had to climb again.” 

Rumble shivered at the thought of that, moving closer to Carly and standing to her side as she worked. He didn’t want to climb again, thank you! 

That was part of why he was the first through the hatch when it opened, though he stumbled back immediately. In the same motion, Spike made an odd squawking sound, and Frenzy hissed. 

There was a Siren. It was not outside, in the water. It was in the hall, and it was killing splicers. The weapon used was a thin drill, or at least, that was what it looked like. But the creature also had blue smoke, ice, flying from its hand, freezing the splicers until there was one one, massive, one left.

“Shit!” Spike cursed when that splicer saw them and wailed, drawing the attention of the Siren as well. The splicer, thickly built and some mutation of a strong body builder, roared and started rushing at them. Rumble was two steps from grabbing Carly by her bag and running when the Siren disappeared into flickering light- and then reappeared in front of them. Ice flew, body parts scattering, and the splicer was suddenly very dead too. 

There was a long moment of silence as the group looked at the Siren. The Siren, somewhat more obviously female now that it was holding still and close up, looked back, then stood up straight. She was _tall_ , at least by human standards, in a way that also hadn’t been quite clear before. After a click more, Frenzy waved, because she wasn’t attacking!

The Siren _laughed_ , then reached up and pulled off the large diving helmet it wore. At this point, it was _very_ obviously female, with chin-length dark hair and blue eyes. And she was… smiling at them. “Hello. My name is Eleanor. I’ve been watching you! We were told you were coming. I thought I’d help you through this last section!”

“Eleanor…? Oh! Grace mentioned you!” Carly said, relaxing. “How’d you find out- ah- I mean, we lost contact with Jazz and Bee and Grace, ourselves.” Even though she was more relaxed, she shifted closer to Rumble, probably uncertain. Rumble was happier that she did that, honestly. 

He was less happy by the realization that this was the one that they’d been seeing. She unnerved him in ways that normal, sane, humans did not. And although they kept throwing around the word ‘insane’ a lot, and it was something he knew was a bit of a button topic with humans, it wasn’t something he was fond of, either. 

“Thank you for the help,” Spike added. 

“Y-yeah.” Frenzy’s agreeing statement was quiet. He, like, Rumble, wasn’t happy with this. At all. Neither one thought that they could trust the safety of _their_ two humans with this one, or Grace. Or anyone else here, for that matter. 

“Oh, Aunt Grace sent a message to the farmers, and they sent one up to us. Anyway, the sister you saw told me about you. She saw these, ah… Now, the Lutece’s were clear about this, it’s not robots, um… Well, my point is, she saw you two,” Eleanor looked at the mechs, “as what you are. I guess that makes sense, it’s just interesting!”

Frenzy glanced at Rumble, optics flickering, then looked back at Eleanor. “Um. Yeah. Not… robots. Mechs. Um…”

Eleanor cocked her head a little, then smiled, a bit softer than before. “No, I’m not normal. At all. I know that. But I think you’ll like Aunt Tenenbaum,” she said. “Now, I can take you there- I mean, lead you, because it’s even more awkward to get around down here than it used to be.”

“Ah. Okay,” Rumble agreed, taking lead before the humans could, and making slag-sure, this time, that they were carefully sandwiched between the two Cassettes, and _closely_ , at that. 

“We called you a Siren, when we saw you,” Spike explained. “Was it you who made that sound?” 

“Ah- no- I mean, that must have been a Big Sister,” Eleanor said. “I know there are a few around. I’ve been trying to take care of them, but it’s been slow going.” She smiled again, heading through a tunnel without much care or worry. 

“Oh. Um.” Carly stopped, clearly not sure what to say. She wasn’t quite touching Rumble, but he could feel her warmth close behind him.

The tunnel quickly lead to a square, surrounded by the remains of fortifications. Before they got far, there was an unholy shriek, almost certainly what the earlier sound would be like without water and metal in the way. Eleanor crouched into a fighting stance, and then another form, very like hers, charged into view, tossing fireballs as it went.

“Slag!” Frenzy yelped. He fired his weapon at the charging ‘Big Sister’ without a second thought, Rumble following behind him with a similar curse. Of all the things they never wanted to fight, they were suddenly forced to fight one of the ones highest on that list. 

Spike and Carly followed their lead, firing at the figure, though all four missed more often than not as the Big Sister jumped around, lashing out- most often at Eleanor- and then jumping back. It screeched again, causing them to falter. 

Eleanor was jumping and teleporting around almost as much as the Big Sister, and even Rumble and Frenzy, used to fighting along Skywarp, couldn’t easily predict where either would show up. Every now and then, Carly managed to hit it with the tail of a lightening bolt, and Spike was using his new-found ability to throw large items by holding them and then tossing them at the creature- They were all glad Eleanor had taken off her helmet, or they couldn’t have hoped to tell the forms apart!

“Arg, _hold still_!” Spike snapped, tossing a box and following up with a shot. Eleanor was doing more damage than the four of them put together, and he was obviously starting to get annoyed. The twins didn’t blame him!

Spike growled as the creature dodged him once more, getting far too close for the Cassettes’ comfort. Frenzy was moving closer when the Big Sister suddenly jerked and appeared behind Spike. The long and thin needle weapon she held slammed into him, and Spike made a low sound in the back of his throat. 

Unsurprisingly, Carly was on the Big Sister before Rumble or Frenzy could react, snarling and hitting with electricity and her rifle. Spike stumbled away, collapsing on his side while Carly continued her rampage- which was all it really could be called. 

With an anticlimatic flick, Eleanor took advantage of Carly’s rage and attack to land more blows to the creature, which died with a shriek that was still painful. 

“Ow. Ow… by the way. OW!” Spike muttered, not really moving. Rumble hurried over, already holding some ointments. He _knew_ they had some of that Adam stuff in them, but Grace was right about one thing- they _worked_ , and Spike needed the hole in his side patched up, fast. Hopefully she wasn’t wrong about the amount of Adam needed to be dangerous.

“I see you’ve both gotten comfortable with what you can do. Father approves, too,” Eleanor commented, jabbing her own needle into the Big Sister and watching Carly, who was moving to help with Spike as well. “Well, this’ll help you, I’m sure,” she added, making a motion with her weapon… thing.

Rumble’s optics flickered, and he wondered, suddenly, what Eleanor meant with her statement. Further, her mention of ‘Father’ and whatever that meant, was off putting. 

He was happier than ever, and also slightly horrified when Frenzy figured out what she meant a few moments before he did, standing in front of them with an arm held up. “No way! No more of that stuff! Are you crazy?” 

“I mean, we had to, nn, get ‘comfortable,’” Carly added, helping Spike up while Rumble still poked at him. The wound wasn’t _too_ bad, or large, but it was worrisome all the same, and she was still raring to go. 

Eleanor looked at Frenzy in confusion, then shrugged. “Well. I mean, I’m not entirely sane, but I function topside just fine. Father taught me well. And you’re down here, so I can’t believe you’re entirely sane either. And you haven’t even been through the hard parts of Rapture yet. Places you’re going, the splicers have lived, and continued to splice, and…” She grinned a little, sickly. “It’s going to get harder. But I guess we can see what Aunt Tenenbaum says.”

“I’m fine, Rumble,” Spike finally said, gently pushing the Cassette away. “I mean, well. Mostly fine. Thank you. But… Well, she’s right about one thing. This probably isn’t the best place to talk…” He was cradling his side still, but Rumble let himself be moved, and looked around at the reminder of danger.

Carly ignored Spike’s protests and shifted things to support him, Frenzy nearby, watching Eleanor carefully. The woman just turned and teleported to the end of the room. “Come on, then,” she said. “This area is mostly clear of splicers. I made sure of that.” 

“Great,” Carly said, but it was grumpy, and she was obviously not trusting of Eleanor. Frenzy was glad of that, and Rumble was even more so. 

They started walking, the two humans once more between the Cassettes as much as possible. And for all he claimed to be okay, Spike did look a little pale as they walked, until with some time, color came back and he looked much less like he’d been in a recent fight. 

The trip from the square to Olympus Heights wasn’t that long, or hard. As Eleanor had said, she _had_ cleaned out the splicers, which… that was nice, at least. What was less nice was the amount of carnage they were now walking through, both old and fresh. Whatever had hit through here, it had hit hard, and apparently often. The group followed Eleanor past ruined tracks, and then up a rusted stairway that Rumble could see had been amazing, once.

“So, before the war, all the important and famous people lived here. I think Mother did, for a little while, but I… don’t remember that, really. You saw where she really lived, before, Dionysus Park? But anyway… Culpepper did, and Cohen- His rooms are in good shape, but… Trust me, you don’t want to stay there. Aunt Tenenbaum set up in Fontain’s apartment this time- the elevator’s out, but the climb’s not bad, and it keeps us all safe. I’ve been bringing the sisters home…” Eleanor commented as the climbed. It didn’t really mean much to Rumble, and even if it had, he didn’t _care_.

Frenzy maybe cared a little bit, or at least, enough to pay some attention. He and Rumble were both startled by the few tiny girls that were there when they entered. They didn’t _look_ like the Little Sisters, not completely, but…

“Eleanor freed them from the effects of the Adam,” a voice said, belonging to a middle aged woman, brown hair streaked with gray, and green eyes that were very sharp. She entered the room as she spoke, and her accent was distinct, most likely German. She looked at them, giving a tired smile when one of the young girls fled the room to another, a second running to hide behind Eleanor. “They are my little ones. We’re getting them out of here, und back home, as fast as possible.” 

“Tenenbaum, I take it?” Carly asked. 

The woman nodded. She looked Rumble and Frenzy up and down, and it was an odd feeling, which neither liked. “When I was told there would be metal men coming, ‘mechs’ as your friend said, I was not expecting- ach, anyway. I hear you have been cleaning out Rapture.” 

“...This gotta do with Grace callin’ us ‘tin daddies’...?” Frenzy asked. They had both worked out what she was referencing rather quickly, but it never had actually seemed like an insult. “...An’ yeah. We’re trying to get to, um, those gardens?”

“We’ve been flooding places behind us,” Rumble said, openly challenging. Tenenbaum seemed… better than others they had met so far, but she was also calling those creepy girls ‘hers’, and… Sure, they seemed a little less creepy here, but still! “And Spike is hurt.”

“Both are hurt, I would assume,” Tenenbaum agreed, motioning to one of the chairs scattered around the sandbox. “Eleanor told me that Gilbert caught them. So, now we will rest, und eat, und then we shall see what more is needed for them to survive, hum? Und do not be making that face at me. They are still vulnerable, and far from danger.”

Frenzy scowled, but didn’t answer back, glancing at his brother as Rumble shook his head and moved to help Carly and Spike- and to help make sure neither Tenenbaum or Eleanor tried anything shifty. 

They didn’t, but it was unnerving as food for the humans was dished from a pot in the back of the space, the youngest fed first by a… surprisingly patient Tenenbaum and Eleanor. Rumble wasn’t sure why he was surprised, but he was, and it was quite odd. It was almost as odd as the way the young human girls stared at Rumble and Frenzy, and flocked around Carly when they got the chance, before scampering away to play. 

“They wonder if you are a type of Big Daddy,” Tenenbaum commented, putting aside her food. “Und they think Frau Carly may be like Eleanor, a Big Sister. They… have forgotten much of what they knew.” She sighed, seeming unhappy, and then smiled a little at the mechs. “If you like, you may be able to play with them. You must go slow, at their speed, if that is what you are wanting.”

“I, ah… We’ll keep that in mind…?” Rumble answered, a bit confused as to why Tenenbaum thought they even _wanted_ to play with the girls. Or was it… that _she_ wanted them to want that? Rumble wasn’t sure, and didn’t really care too much.

Tenenbaum looked pleased by his answer, at any rate. One of the young girls, a little older than the others, spotting Spike, gave a chipper little giggle before running. “Ah, she must see him as someone like Jack, then,” the woman said, before shrugging and moving along. Frenzy didn’t want to think about that any more than he wanted to think about the other stuff! 

“Let us get to the point, then,” she said. “You mechs may survive without augmentation in the coming areas, but they will not.” Gesturing to Carly and Spike, the latter of which was still not looking as good as he could, she frowned. Rumble had to admit that that didn’t help his and Frenzy’s arguments. 

“Absolutely not,” he said. “We tol’ the ‘Bots we’d not let anythin’ happen to them. It’s already bad enough-” 

“Augmentation- you mean more of that Adam stuff?” Carly asked, cutting him off. 

Frenzy stiffled a sound of annoyance. The humans couldn’t _possibly_ be considering it! 

“Tonics, und a few other things, too, yes,” Tenenbaum said with a nod, while Carly and Spike exchanged glances.

They were! He gaped at them, openly, matched by Rumble. Neither was really sure what to say, but they had to say… something! Rumble managed, shaking his head. “No, no, no! We _said_ we won’t let nothin’ happen! An’ we’re bein’ more careful now- Carly…!”

“Rumble… She’s been here a lot longer than we have. She- both of them, really- knows what’s coming. We don’t…” Carly answered, frowning a little.

“And… well, I know this won’t comfort you much, but we actually know the signs of addiction. And Carly and I… We’re not showing them, not really. Unless the signs are… that different?” Spike looked at Tenenbaum as he asked that, and she shook her head.

“Addiction is… much the same. When feelings of addiction start, that is when stopping use is a gut idea. Adam… has a very interesting mechanism. Mutation, things the plasmid und tonic is _not_ supposed to do, cannot happen until the body is dependant on Adam. That point is still very far away for those two,” she answered, explaining to the mechs more than the humans. “That point is not so far from me, but still far. Even far from Eleanor, but she… is little bit of a special case…” Tenenbaum laughed a little, and Eleanor joined her.

“So… And honestly, if I can find something that keeps me from turning invisible once I’m topside…!” Spike added. “...Not to mention, we still haven’t worked out what, like, half of my things do!”

“Yeah, that would be nice, even if Mirage would probably find it entertaining.” Carly smiled a little, glancing at Rumble and Frenzy both. They frowned, very much unhappy with this, and it was Rumble who shook his head. 

“No. Absolutely not. If needed, we’ll talk to the ‘Bots and drag you out. This is insane and stupid,” the Cassette said. 

“It’s not your choice, though,” Spike said, and he was gentle with it, surprisingly so, really. “We understand your concern, but we aren’t leaving, no way.” 

Frenzy recoiled, then slumped a little. “...No. Guess it ain’t…” he agreed. Beside him, Rumble nodded, though he was also frowning. Frenzy looked at Tenenbaum, who was simply watching, absently petting one of the little girls when she came up. “You _swear_ they ain’t… nowhere near turnin’ inta… well…” Of course, it didn’t make much sense for… anyone to deliberately turn Spike and Carly into the splicers they’d seen around, but… the mechs weren’t sure how sane people were. Tenenbaum didn’t… seem that far gone, though.

“They are quite far from the danger point. By my estimation, they may take at least ten times the Adam they have taken,” Tenenbaum answered, immediately. “Perhaps… you should rest, so you can later disclaim knowledge, if that would ease you?”

“We’re fine,” Rumble answered immediately. He glanced at Carly and Spike, then, before they could answer for themselves, gestured at the two. “They need to rest, though. At least, they need to rest a bit. The Bots’ll be even more agitated if we let these two die ‘cause of workin’ too hard…” 

Carly snickered. “Sure, that’s all that’s on your mind, Rumble,” she teased, gently, as gently as Spike’s rebuff had been. It was almost less pleasant, in some ways. 

“Course it is! An’ you were sayin’ ya needed to rest all the way back in that Frolic place!” Rumble agreed, trying _not_ to be bothered. Just because they had kind of been forcibly reminded that the humans were actual people just like them didn’t mean anything, just like they weren’t going to _say_ they, maybe, cared for the two!

“How about we have this discussion, but sleep before actually… um, doing anything,” Spike suggested, looked at the other humans as well as the mechs.

Tenenbaum nodded at the idea. “We are under no time limit. Food is plenty, water sufficient, und oxygen fine. Und I don’t like admitting it, but my little ones can live a day or two longer without rescue. They… do not suffer, at least…”

Carly nodded, shifting closer to Frenzy and patting him with a hand. “I think the big thing here is knowing if you’re absolutely sure that it’s that tough from here on out…”

“It is,” Eleanor said, leaning against one of the walls nearby. “I’ve done what I can leading from here to Aunt Grace, but it’s been harder going down towards Hephaestus. I mean, Alex kept most of the splicers in line in his area, some how.” 

“That is not including the danger of the Big Sisters,” Tenenbaum said. “Eleanor has been working with me, but they are strong. And deadly.” 

“Okay. But… the other ones we saw didn’t bother us. Um, the Big Sisters, I mean, the ones that… Weren’t Eleanor…” Carly said. Frenzy nodded beside her, but didn’t say anything, and he frowned when she continued. “Of course, we’re still going to Hephaestus, so… Yeah. There’s that.”

“You said they screamed at you,” Eleanor pointed out. When her statement didn’t immediately bring understanding, she added, “That means they’re _going_ to attack you. They just didn’t feel like it at the time. If they were outside the city, that’s probably it; they don’t like to break the glass, though they can. I think Father’s the only one who ever made them, and he was… alone down there…”

“Why would they attack us, though? Are they like the splicers?” Spike asked. 

“They are like the Big Daddies,” Tenenbaum answered. “They used to be Little Sisters, but now they protect the Little Sisters, guardians.” 

Carly shook her head, confused once more. “But we wouldn’t hurt them?” she said. 

“You would help them, yes? Make them human again? They consider that a danger.” Tenenbaum glanced at Eleanor sadly.

“Mother knew how to get them to do what she wanted,” the young woman said. “But she didn’t do well, either, and my connections and abilities are too strained to keep them from attacking us, now.” 

Spike frowned, and Frenzy wondered if they had put together the same thought. “If we help them- and I’m _not_ saying we wouldn’t, because… no! But… We’d, um, have to get them away from the… Big Daddies, too. Wouldn’t we? So we’d have to fight… both of those things? And- and what would we do with the girls after? There’s… um… The one we saw wasn’t very… similar to these girls…”

“An’ I seen how they stick to those big things. How we supposed ta hit the big ones without hurtin’ the little girls?” Rumble asked. Frenzy glanced at him, but Rumble ignored it. What, they were supposed to _not_ help humans when they could here? Which… he’d just ignore the ‘human’ bit, maybe…

“As long as my little ones are still in the grip of the Adam they contain, they cannot be harmed. They are… very close to immortal.” Tenenbaum looked only slightly disturbed, crossing her arms and then nodding towards the back area, where they could see equipment and test tubes and all kinds of other things. 

Eleanor hummed, then added, “Once a Big Daddy and Big Sister are taken care of, we can free the Little Sisters from the Adam easily. I have a plasmid for that.” 

Carly and Spike looked at each other, then nodded. “Okay. So… what. We get the Little Sister alone, and… I guess, use the plasmid, and then what? Bringing them back here each time will take… um, well, longer than we… can spare, I think. And… Well. Yeah, I guess I can see how what we… currently have won’t really be enough…? I don’t know. How _does_ one fight the Big things? We didn’t do much damage to the one Eleanor was fighting…” Spike said.

“With weapons and plasmids,” Tenenbaum answered. “I have seen splicers take them down, und _you_ can _think_. A bit more… flexibility will help, though. So, it is time to talk plasmids und tonics, yes. What are you currently using?”

Sharing a look, Spike was the first to mumble, “We… aren’t sure completely. I mean, we used one of those needle machines, but, ah-” 

“Gene Bank. I see. We will do that again, then. I can plan around that,” Tenenbaum said with a short nod, before leading them over, to the device, before any protests could be made. “Let us see…” She held out a hand, waiting until Carly offered her own, unhappily. This time there was no surprise as the needle punctured skin and the read outs filtered through. 

“Could you write things down this time, or something? Watching you get stuck with those things is disturbing,” Rumble muttered. Tenenbaum chuckled at him, but printed the readings anyway. 

“Thanks. Because, really, it’s… not fun to have to get poked, either…” Spike muttered as he repeated the procedure. “...Even if we are both healing a bit faster than before…” He hadn’t been sure, at first, but now he could clearly see the bleeding slowing.

“Yeah, that happens. Any amount of Adam does that- it was how it was first found, Aunty tells me. But… maybe you should sleep?” Eleanor said. “Aunt Tenenbaum is great, but… does forget, sometimes, that not everyone finds gene-play as enthralling as she does.” She smiled at Tenenbaum, who looked somewhat abashed.

“Perhaps… that is gut idea. You rest, und I work on… suggestions. Then, come the morning, you can make better choices. Not tired choices,” Tenenbaum agreed, taking Spike’s read-outs as well.

Frenzy looked down at the humans, and then he nodded. “Agreed. Humans need rest to make _decent_ decisions.” 

“Okay, okay, passive aggressive comment noted,” Carly answered with a sigh. Frenzy immediately twitched, then had to smirk to hide the fond look that started. Rumble matched it, and they looked away when Eleanor started laughing. 

“Come on, I’ll show you to a couple of beds,” the young woman said. Spike and Carly waved at the Cassettes as they left. 

It left them alone with the crazy lady, which was it’s own set of issues, Primus help them. It couldn’t be that bad, though… hopefully.


	8. Bird? Or the cage?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another chapter, to make up for our hiatus.

“It occurs to me that we never gave names. Not properly. We have learnt names, but… there was much skipped. I have… often skipped such things,” Tenenbaum said, looking at the mechs. “Und it has been long since I have met new people. I am Bridgid, if you do not wish to use Dr. Tenenbaum.” She smiled a little. “It is… middle of the day for me. And I think you… do not sleep? So… Are you wishing to learn more about Adam? Facts, und not rumors you may have been fed.”

Frenzy shrugged a little, looking at Rumble. “We… do sleep, more or less, but not… Anyway. Um. Yeah, we only go by Frenzy and Rumble. ...Pretty sure you couldn’t manage our real names…” He chuckled, uncertainly. Who knew what could be possible in this place? But that would be just… too weird!

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure the name thing happened with Grace, too? Or something.” That was a small blur right then, and Rumble didn’t care to really think about it. “Anyway. It’s… well. It’s not fun being here.” He shrugged. 

“Yes,” Tenenbaum said. “It has never been a real _gut_ place. So much… greed, hate, anger. Human traits that evolution never rid us of, as they did other species.” She moved to the equipment behind her, setting the readouts down and starting to add notes to them. 

Rumble shook his head, not really liking Tenenbaum’s attitude. “Other species got that too. Even just on Earth, I’ve seen other things be greedy. And don’t get us _started_ on our war. It’s just… kinda part a’ bein’ alive? ‘Mean, not tryin’ ta say it’s a good thing. None of them are, really… …’cept maybe anger, but dunno. We ain’t great at philosophizing…”

“But bro’s right. Not just human’s got all that. ...Bu’ yeah. From what we were told… Ryan went and collected all the worst o’ ya. ...Urm, not sayin’ you’re… um… slag.” Frenzy winced, and looked down.

Tenenbaum regarded them with something like curiosity, then smiled sadly. “I did not mean to imply- hn. You were right the first time. I have many regrets, und Rapture’s collection of bright minds and horrible spirits is a large part of that.” She paused, then chuckled, and there was still that strange sadness in it. “But… thank you in your attempts to not harm this one’s feelings.”

“Well… still didn’t mean ta say you’re a worst. ...Neither’s Grace, though she’s… urm. Well, anyway, though, I mean… Least you’re tryin’ ta help things!” Frenzy insisted, nodding emphatically. “Um… So, what are ya… thinkin’, with, ah, that stuff? We ain’t… happy ‘bout it, but… Probably oughta know what they gonna be able ta do? An’... stuff…?”

“I suppose that would not hurt,” Tenenbaum agreed after a moment. She spread her read-outs onto the table, and then another another list. “So, right now… Well. Poor Gilbert was mad, no doubts. With what they were given... He cannot use his tonics well, does not have the right plasmid. So… take Inferno, and give to her. Give both Electric Flesh, and him Winter Blast plasmid.” She pointed at the names as she spoke, and marked the ones she was talking about with an ‘S’ or ‘C’ as she did so. “Tch. These names are stupid… Always told Suchong that. But gut for advertising- well. I suppose he was not wrong!”

Frenzy frowned, and he _did_ agree that the names were… a bit ostentatious, and not really useful. But… “You can take them away? I mean, make it so they don’t… _have_ these things?”

“She can, but it’s not as good as you’re thinking,” Eleanor said, coming over to the table. “It won’t be like it never happened. The Adam will still be in them- Which, the ‘Sister hit Spike with her needle, so I need to give him more. Do I need to go get some, Aunty?”

“I do not know,” Tenenbaum answered, still looking over her lists. “I am not sure how much to give. Perhaps she should have Eve Saver too? And both Metabolic Eve- better than relying on Eve hypos. They have become so rare... Und I am assuming you would rather they not fight close? So extra hitting power is less important… And of course, tonic to save my little ones…”

“How about Elemental Storm? Father liked that, and then if they end up getting hit, at least you’ll have time to help them,” Eleanor suggested. “And… We could give her that sonic boom one. Though I’m not sure about that…”

“I don’t know how much I like any of- whatever you are talking about,” Rumble said with a frown. “What is ‘Elemental Storm’? Or… ‘that sonic boom one’? Those sound dangerous…” 

Frenzy nodded, then cleared his vocalizer unhappily. “And what do you meant when you say that thing… ah, took Adam from Spike? Wouldn’t that be a good thing, then? Especially later?” Unsaid, there were the question- why couldn’t that be done for the addicts here? 

“Oh, Elemental Storm activates when you get hit. Gives a nice shock of ice, fire, or lightning. And Sonic Boom is pretty much what it sounds like… Can be good to flatten splicers, though,” Eleanor answered. “And as for the harvesting, um…”

Eleanor shrugged, and looked at Tenenbaum, who shook her head. “The Adam taken was not in… useable form, to any but him und the sister. She was able to… re-purify it, I supposed you could say. But the point is, Adam was ripped from him. That ripping… damages. Only a little damage, do not worry! But… having Adam is not… dangerous? Ah… Once Adam is in the body, it is just… there. Users get sick less, heal faster, age slower. Und once Adam damage is done, once mutations are caused… too late. Even if we take all Adam, the damage is still there.”

“I mean, I could totally take some off them before you leave here, but… Pretty much everyone I’ve harvested like that kind of… ...dies,” Eleanor added. “...Probably because the only way to get the Adam is to drain the blood.”

In what had become something like true-Rumble-fashion, the Cassette made a face that was mostly disgust, with a little horror in there. Of course, that made way too much _sense_. But he didn’t like the thought of draining the humans of their blood just to get this _slag_ out of them! “No, then. Ain’t gonna have them die by tryin’ to take it out!” he muttered.

“I’m still confused by the mechanism of this stuff,” Frenzy added. “I mean. So you’re saying in low doses, it’s safe? And it… stays in the energ- er- blood. Forever? But too much, and it… then hurts you? But then, they’ve not been wanting more, right? Until you mentioned it…” That didn’t even touch how weird it was to hear about getting Adam from human blood. 

“More or less,” Tenenbaum agreed. “It behaves as unstable stem-cells, but until it crosses the threshold, it is… controllable. In time, much of it will be replaced with normal cells, but… Hum. I suppose, one can say they will having ‘learned’ to behave as Adam-cells behave? For sure, Jack still heals fast, und can still throw Electro-Bolts when he wants to- He is about twenty years removed from here, now…”

“More or less the same with the Sisters he rescued, too,” Eleanor mentioned. “And don’t worry, you two. Your humans don’t crave the stuff. If they do start to, I _can_ take out just a little- though they might not be as healthy after.”

The Cassettes shared a look, and then Rumble sighed. They still weren’t sure about this, but neither were big on xenobiology, and humans were weird and complex anyway. “Any way we can watch for that? And advice for the ‘Bots? These really ain’t ‘our’ humans, we’re just… borrowing.” That was… the closest that either could really think. They would not admit anything further! 

“Honestly, once I have set them up here, I believe they will not need plasmids or tonics again. Und there are not that many little ones left, so no true worry there. You do not let them come to harm easily, and so they will not need many med-kits… So, if they talk about wanting any more, tell them stop. And the wanting does fade- it takes more time than most were willing to spend, but it fades. I think… I see no reason for problems,” Tenenbaum answered.

“And any craving and such, it’s the same as most topside drugs, from what I’ve seen,” Eleanor added. “So… you’re borrowing them? How’s that work out?”

Frenzy made a sound deep in his vocalizer, then sighed and shook his head. “I guess we can tell the Bots that,” he said. “It’s… complicated.” 

“We’ve been at war with the Bots for a long time. Carly an’ Spike are theirs. We’re jus’ small enough to get down here, and stuff. The Prime sent them, even though no one’s happy ‘bout that.” Rumble shook his head and crossed his arms, unwilling to bring up the fact that he wasn’t sure if the Autobots would be _able_ to notice any signs that the humans might need help. 

“Well, if they trusted you with… their humans down here, there’s no point to _not_ trusting you up there,” Tenenbaum answered firmly. “...I have not heard of you, when I was up there.” She shrugged, not seeming the least bit concerned by this oddity. Rumble had the feeling that Tenenbaum… well, that she was a little bit like Soundwave was, or had been. She ignored anything that wasn’t important to her, and he could easily see her just… not really hearing about them. Outside of a few areas, they just weren’t that well known.

“You’ve been down here for a very long time,” Eleanor mentioned to Tenenbaum, smiling a little. “And anyway, I think it’s a more interesting thing to notice that, above, you are labeled as… not so much the good guys, no? And yet, you’re here.” 

Tenenbaum looked surprised, eyes lighting up as she looked back at Eleanor and then the Cassettes. “Ah. Und yet, it becomes more interesting, then.” 

“Just cuz we don’t think you squishies are worth our race dyin’...” Rumble started. Frenzy cuffed him upside the head, and Rumble cycled his vents. “...An’ maybe didn’t… realize ya was people at first…” he added, more of an explanation.

Frenzy huffed a little, then shrugged. “I’s not like we don’t work with ya now. Like bro an’ I said… It’s complicated. ...An’ some things are jus… _wrong_ , don’t matter who’s doin’ them.”

“Mm, no, I can see the logic to your first thoughts,” Tenenbaum said, surprising Rumble and making his optics flicker. “Our- hn- history- is filled with such times one group has tried to decide who is a person, und who is not, why, und why not.” Her mouth twisted, again, as it’d had before. She didn’t give any more information, though, returning to her notes for a moment.

“It’s okay, Aunty,” Eleanor said, before shrugging and shaking her head. It was like they knew something else, but weren’t willing to speak up about it- then again, that was something many humans had issues with! “I’m glad you guys aren’t as bad as the propaganda says, though. Not surprised, but I’m glad. Father is too.” 

“...I’m gonna regret it, but… Whaddaya mean, ‘Father’? I know what the word means! But I ain’t _seen_... _no_ sane adult man around. Let alone one listenin’ here ta respond ta the convo!” Rumble answered, watching Frenzy kind of duck and watch Tenenbaum. Neither twin was sure if it was worth asking Spike or Carly, later, or any of the Decepticons who might know. “An’... we _have_ kinda been tryin’ ta not… ya know. Hurt ya squishies as much recently,” he added, looking around. He still didn’t see a ‘Father’ around.

Eleanor laughed, and she looked like she was going to answer, but Tenenbaum shook her head, lips pursed, and spoke first. “Adam has the effect of holding onto the consciousness, hn, the spirit, of strong ones. If it’s then given to another… they may catch ghosts of such, at times. In the case of Eleanor, she is able to single out a voice from the collective.” 

“That must be what Spike an’ Carly were talkin’ ‘bout,” Frenzy said. “When they said they were hallucinatin’ earlier.” 

“Yeah, Father thinks you’re right,” Eleanor agreed. “Mother is the reason why. She and Father had... disagreements, though. It’s complicated.” 

“Um. ...Lotsa… human parents have disagreements…” Rumble said, not at _all_ sure what to do in regards to Eleanor’s statement. “Um… these ‘ghosts’ ain’t gonna… hurt Spike’n’Carly, are they…?”

Tenenbaum looked startled by the question, then shook her head. “No, no. They’ll fade away as the Adam is integrated, und once topside, there is… nothing that ought to trigger the remembrances, anyway. ...Perhaps you need time to think? It is… safe enough, outside, und I am not being sure you want to… watch me, anyway.”

“...Yeah. I think that would be best,” Rumble said, shivering when Tenenbaum started tinkering with some monstrosity of a device that he couldn’t even begin to understand. 

“Agreed.” Frenzy hadn’t been certain, at first. The sight of the human pulling out a rather large syringe from near her ‘list’ was enough to convince him. At least, though, Eleanor didn’t speak again, because that was starting to become weird each and _every_ time. Instead she just led the Cassettes out, around more children playing in the boxes that had once been a garden. 

It was… surprisingly not horrible, Rumble decided. Light came in from the windows, watery and green, and it was kind of like the _Nemesis_ , only there were children running around and laughing, which… it was weird. But it wasn’t horrible. He could, he thought, kind of see how… nice the city might have been, once. It was kind of frightening to imagine that. And apparently, Spike’s creator could have ended up living here…! Which… _that_ was terrifying, really. And that had nothing to do with the fact that, if he’d been here, Spike wouldn’t exist!

“You okay, bro?” Frenzy asked when they stopped out of the way of the young humans, but within the realm of ‘safety’ that there seemed to be. Neither of them liked this, and thinking about it was not fun in the slightest. 

“Yeah. I’m just… wonderin’ about some of this stuff,” Rumble answered. “I don’t like it. I’m glad we’ll be tearin’ it all down. But… you know.” 

Frenzy shrugged a little too, looking around. “Yeah. I… think I know. Humans are… humans are strange. ...But then, I guess they are kinda… aliens…”

“Now I beg to differ there. You are the aliens here,” a familiar voice said, Rosalind stepping out from behind a half-broken pillar.

“And there,” Robert added, and Rumble had no idea where _he_ had come from.

“But not everywhere,” Rosalind finished, sending Robert a look.

“What is it you two want, anyway? We’re gonna destroy this evil place!” Rumble snapped before Frenzy could stop him. His fellow Cassette cringed, putting a hand on his arm to try to make sure that at least Rumble wouldn’t go further. 

“Want?” Rosalind asked, she blinked slowly, then her lips made an almost-smile. 

“I believe they mean to think we have a motive,” Robert answered. 

Frenzy cringed again, and the twins glanced at each other. “Well, you keep-!” he sputtered as, turning to look back at the ‘humans’ showed them to have _things_ in their hands. It was freaky and weird and unnatural! 

“We keep bringing gifts? Why yes, we do,” Rosalind said, motioning a little with whatever she was holding.

Robert mirrored the move, and the Cassettes realized he was holding a… bottle. “So… the cheese, or the wine?”

“Wine or the cheese?” Rosalind echoed, before pausing. “But there are two of them. Does that mean two choices?”

“But there’s only two options. Would that really be a choice?” Robert answered, tilting his head a little and looking at the mechs.

Frenzy made a sound that was partially choking. “W- What?” he asked. 

“The slag?” Rumble added. They recognized the alcohol, and the cheese- humans loved those. But it made no sense, at all. 

“The cheese or the wine?” Rosalind repeated. 

“For the humans you’re attached to, of course,” Robert added. 

“...Ya jus’ said we got two choices, and two options. Don’t that mean we get ‘em both?” Rumble asked. His ‘answer’, if it could possibly be called that, was two almost identical looks of polite confusion, and he huffed. “How should we- We ain’t even attached to ‘em!”

Frenzy, optics flickering a little, gave a shrug. “...I’ll take the wine?” Humans could live without food for longer, even if alcohol wasn’t a very good thing for hydration.

“Oh, very good choice!” Robert declared, coming forward with the wine in hand. He stopped half-way, and Frenzy warily approached, optics flickering more when he was allowed to take the bottle- and somehow, Robert managed to keep them from even touching.

“I supposed there was a third choice,” Rosalind said. “Nothing. Hum. Cheese or nothing?”

“Whatever- slag- um, the cheese?” Rumble snatched the round of food and then backed away. This was freakier than anything he had ever encountered before. 

“Hm, I thought he’d choose nothing at this rate,” Rosalind said. 

“Another him might have, one with less… attachment,” Robert answered. 

“I don’t like either of you.” Rumble glared, frowning, and holding the cheese in his hand as though it was a bomb that may go off. 

“None of you do,” Rosalind said genially.

Robert frowned, and looked at Rosalind. “Except for that one,” he… reminded. This was _ridiculous_ , the Cassettes thought.

“But this one’s not that one. And I’m not certain I like that one,” Rosalind answered, frowning just a little. “Well, this one’s not bad, but I think they may start shooting at us if we stay longer.”

“Oh, would they?” Robert looked up, then nodded and offered his arm to Rosalind, despite the fact that the mechs weren’t even aiming at the pair. Still cheerfully bickering, the ‘humans’ walked off, and neither Rumble nor Frenzy were completely sure where or when they disappeared.

It left them holding fuel for the humans, staring at each other, and it, patience gone for the evening. Even so, they didn’t rest easily, taking turns recharging and keeping watch for a while. Eleanor joined them at some point, unsurprised by their sudden acquisition, or mention of the ‘humans’ that had gifted them. At least it wasn’t more ‘ghosts’ seen by only Spike and Carly. Primus knew the Cassettes had more respect for the humans taking everything in stride. 

They could only hope that it wouldn’t get worse, or that the humans would reach a breaking point.


	9. And then out of nowhere we both heard this... /singing/.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this is enjoyed! We'll be completing and posting the rest of the chapters soon!

The Cassettes were, one way or another, not around when Spike woke up. Considering as he was met by Tenenbaum and a list of plasmids and tonics she was suggesting for Carly and him, Spike was just as glad that the mechs weren’t there. Eleanor did tell him that Rumble and Frenzy had been there for the discussion about the plasmids, but that was all. And it was better to let the mechs rest while they had the chance.

The list did seem pretty… conservative, Spike thought, and he and Carly discussed it over breakfast, which was mostly more of the same from last night, with some cheese added. Eleanor grinned at him when he examined it- and he and Carly both thought it was better to not ask any questions.

Actually _getting_ the enhancements- splicing, wasn’t as bad as Spike remembered it. At least, it wasn’t that bad as long as he didn’t count the process of getting more Adam. Eleanor’s needle was huge, and he still wasn’t entirely recovered from the Big Sister’s attack last night! Still, it took less than an hour for everything to be finished, and that was even including brief lessons in how to use things. 

“I don’t feel like puking this time…” Carly muttered, rubbing at her arms and testing some of her new abilities. 

“Your bodies have remembered how to keep the Adam,” Tenenbaum said. “Do not worry.” 

Spike nodded, rubbing at his eyes for a long moment. “We should radio in to Jazz and Bee,” he said. “And is there any way to get a shower, or any cleaning done? I want to give Frenzy and Rumble as much time to rest as possible.” 

“The reservoir is leaking, but… Yes, this house still has water, with very little salt. Und Eleanor was nice und cleaned up the room,” Tenenbaum answered.

“The water is kind of cold. Even casting Incinerate! on it doesn’t help much, I’ve found,” Eleanor added, standing and motioning for them to follow. “And… we’re kind of out of soap. I’ve been bringing the Little Sisters to Jack for baths before taking them back to their families… Does them good to see older rescues.”

“A shower is a shower, even cold,” Carly said with a grin. “Thanks, ah, Eleanor.” 

“You’re welcome,” Eleanor answered, walking around them, and leading them to the showering space. It wasn’t a bathtub with a shower, or at least, not a traditional one, but they could both share it. “There’s not much point in washing your clothing. Uncle Jack says that the only way to be clean of this place is to burn the stuff.” 

“Yeah… I could see that,” Spike muttered, waving as Eleanor laughed and left them to some privacy. 

Like many other parts of Rapture, the space was clearly once the very height of luxury. Now it was just sad, with chilly, slightly salty water running through corroded pipes, with barely any pressure behind it at all. Even so, Spike was grateful for the chance to clean up and help Carly with the same, even to the point of unmatting the worst of her remaining tangles.

The amount of bruising was shocking more because of how little there was, and many of the scrapes and scabs were already healing, but after Tenenbaum’s assurances it was less horrifying. It was good to know that infection would be unlikely, and if they had to fight, it was best that they were in good condition.

After the shower, all they really had to wear was the same nasty, bloody clothing they had been wearing, but at least they had thought to bring new underwear, and the humans knew their clothing would get ruined fast if they _did_ have any new stuff. That didn’t make getting dressed again any better, and Spike knew that _he_ , at least, was putting way too much thought into the idea of just running around naked.

Carly was the first to finish dressing, mostly because she left her shirt off. Her shortened hair left wet trails, and it was hard to care about being modest when they had been injected with crazy-juice and beaten to hell and back. 

Plus, she wanted to rinse it and see if it would dry at least a little before they had to move on. “Hey Frenzy,” she greeted when she found the Cassettes, only slightly remembering that modesty problem from before. It passed quickly. “We got those, uh, upgrades and showered. You guys get any rest?” 

With Carly not caring about her shirt, Spike did likewise, and now the shirts were more or less drying. Frenzy was looking at them both, but also he seemed to be… trying not to stare, which was actually kind of sweet, Spike thought.

“We got some,” Rumble agreed, frowning. “...And had another conversation with, er, those two weird people. ...Hope ya don’t mind, we let Tenenbaum add the cheese to the meal, or at least some of it. Kept the wine, though, um…”

“Wait, what?” Spike asked, blinking. A moment later, he realized what they probably meant, and he couldn’t help but hide his face with a hand. “They actually _brought_ wine and cheese…?”

“...They had us choose who got what,” Frenzy said. “It was… weird. I don’t… get it.” 

Rumble shuddered. “We’re pretty sure they aren’t human, the two, I mean-” he cut off, catching that he was staring at Carly, and looked down. “Ah, right. I mean, we still think of you guys as human! It’s not the, I mean- slag. Nevermind.” 

“We know what you mean, Rumble,” Spike soothed. “They freak us out, too.” 

“Oh. Good…” Rumble said, relaxing more. “Um. Frenz’ got the wine in his subspace…”

“Great. We can use it to toast when we get out of here! Or, you know, if we get stuck somewhere…” Carly shrugged, crossing her arms. “...And yeah. We’re _pretty_ sure they stepped out of no-where, the first time we saw them. Not that… anything we saw is trustworthy from then.”

“And, in any case, we don’t mind you giving away some cheese. I’m sure the kids here can use it more than we,” Spike finished. That was what mattered, or at least what Rumble had been talking about at first. The Cassette did look relieved, and he added, “Besides, you said they gave things to you, yeah? They’re yours.” 

Frenzy shook his head. “Nah. I mean, if we ignore everything else, what’d we do with cheese and wine? Anyway, humans like this stuff, right? And you understand _why_ they did it… Or something.” 

“I don’t know. Maybe they can be used to clean things?” Spike answered, shrugging. “And… I think they did it because they… said they’d do it. And at least, I’m pretty sure they’re not, you know… dangerous.”

“And I’m not sure how much it matters. We would like to check in with Jazz, but… I think we’re almost ready to go, really,” Carly said.

“Yeah, well- it probably doesn’t matter, but it doesn’t make us happy, either.” Rumble sighed, but then shrugged. “Let’s get this over with. The sooner we can get out of here, the better.” 

Carly nodded, then tugged her headset from where she’d hung it nearby. “Agreed,” she said. She waited until Spike had his, as well, with both of them knowing that the Cassettes would click in without issue. 

“ _Hey Jazz, we’re just checking in. How are things that way? We never heard back from you._ ” 

“ _Carly? Thank Primus. I’m sorry, something here shorted, outgoin’ messages aren’t very easy. Somethin’s strange with it._ ” Jazz’s voice came through tinny and with some of it cutting out, enough that it made both humans uneasy. 

Rumble looked uneasy, too, though not as uneasy as Frenzy, as the mech shivered and shook his head. “ _We just need to get that key thing,_ ” he said. “ _And then we’ll be on our way._.” 

“ _Sounds good ta me. Are ya… doin’ okay, th’ four of ya?_ ” Jazz asked, through the buzzing.

“ _Yeah, Jazz. We’re doing okay, like Rumble said. Wish we could put you in contact with Tenenbaum here… She actually knows a lot. But I think… you’ll see her eventually,” Spike answered. He didn’t… really want to tell Jazz that he and Carly had accepted even more Adam-laced products, and decided to wait until he could say so in person. Assuming, of course, that Rumble nor Frenzy told on them!_

_“ _I’ll do some work on that,_ ” Bumblebee cut in. He sounded worried and tired, and Carly shared a look with Spike. _

_“ _How are you holding up, Bee?_ Spike asked. _

_There was no answer from the small mech. “ _He’ll be okay,_ ” Jazz said, instead. “_Just focus on getting through, gotcha?”

Spike frowned, but nodded, useless as the gesture was. “ _Yeah. We’ll get through. We have some idea of what’s ahead, and have been… given some help. We’ll be okay, Jazz._ ” Just like the splicing, Jazz and Bumblebee could find out later that they planned on taking on some Big Daddies, if they had to, or that one of the Big Sisters was apparently after them. The mechs could find _that_ all out after they were safely back on the _Nemesis_ , at least!

“ _Roger that. And thanks for watchin’ out for Spike and Carly, guys, and vise versa, ya two._ ” The line clicked, and they were alone again, or as alone as they could be with the kids around. 

“Ready to go?” Carly asked the Cassettes, checking her shirt, but finding it still damp. A quick little bit of fire helped that fairly quickly, though it also almost caught on fire, too. She did better with Spike’s shirt, a second later. 

“You are not allowed to start drying laundry like that back home,” Spike commented, taking the shirt and ignoring Rumble’s frown. “It’ll set off the fire alarms.”

Carly gave a disdainful sniff, and Frenzy cycled his vents. Spike still wasn’t sure if that was a deliberate mimicry of human sighs, or if it was just a thing mechs did, and he didn’t bother asking. It was functionally equivalent to sighing, so it didn’t matter! “We’re ready. So… we gonna tell the doctor?”

“We should, I guess,” Frenzy said, still distracted. “I’m not super fond of any of it, though.” They could probably tell that the humans had gotten those splice additions. Spike was happier that no comment about it was made, though. 

“Yeah, well, neither are we. But we need to make the most of a bad situation, yeah?” Spike said. “Negativity won’t help this.” 

Rumble looked at Spike a moment, then nodded. “Guess it wouldn’t. Let’s… be goin’, then…” He shrugged, and started down to the semi-garden again. Tenenbaum was there, with Eleanor again, and the usual bevy of young girls, one of whom was standing near Tenenbaum and watching the four carefully.

“Feeling better? About ready to face Rapture again?” Tenenbaum asked, glancing at the four. “I will try to stay in contact, but radios have been failing recently. You may see Eleanor.”

“And the Pnuemo still… well, it mostly works, even now. Though I might just go visit Auntie Grace myself again,” the taller woman added, grinning brightly.

Carly nodded. “Check on our friends, when you do?” 

“Of course. Father thinks they sound like lovely people.” Eleanor smiled. “Though, of course, he never thought we’d be back here, either.” 

“I… cannot tell what those two statements have to do with each other…” Spike said, frowning a little as he kept trying to understand. “I’m glad he… approves, though.” It would be horrible, he thought, to have someone in his head who _didn’t_ approve of his choices! The occasional ghosts had been bad enough...

“I _do_ ‘member ya…!” the little girl suddenly said. “Wasn’t sure. Things don’t look the same. ...But the metals ones do… An’ Big Sis’ says I saw ya!” She grinned, and came around Tenenbaum’s leg, staring up at them.

Carly smiled. “That’s nice, sweety. Rumble and Frenzy _are_ nice and easy to spot, aren’t they?” she said. Her hand touched Frenzy, as the caught sight of the look on his face. Poor mech looked like he’d been punched! She melted at the sight of the young thing, though, especially as the little girl giggled with a nod and ducked back. 

“Eleanor will lead you to the nearest tunnel,” Tenenbaum said. She held out the key- or at least, what was assumed to be that key. “Grace told us far before, what your plan was. We’ll seal things, so your friends can sink sections as you move, again, as well.” 

“Thanks. Don’t worry, no-one will sink this area until you’re out,” Spike said, taking the key and repeating what had already, certainly, been said. Carly went a step further, hugging Tenenbaum as she thanked the scientist for her help. Tenenbaum looked more than a little startled, but was smiling when Carly pulled away. After that, it was just a matter of clambering back down the elevator shaft after Eleanor, various ladders still held together and strong.

Rumble and Frenzy tried to keep the humans between them, again as they moved. This time it was harder, with Spike more bold and brash, and Carly curious, trying to inspect things- she wanted to find structural weaknesses, and it was the easiest way. They could see the worry that the twins had, and tiredness, a similar tiredness that Ratchet often showed… Rumble’s apparent dislike of heights didn’t help that.

“How far is it to the ‘Farmers Market’?” Spike asked when they reached the end of the shaft, one hand on Rumble’s leg to offer comfort in the last stretch of the mech’s climbing. 

“Eh… a bit far. Even with the vents I used to use, it took a while. Try not to need sleep in Hephaestus, though, the air’s bad there,” Eleanor answered, shrugging. “I mean, I assume you’ll need sleep again. I dunno. It doesn’t take me as long…”

“Right…” Spike said. He assumed she was talking about the teleporting she seemed to do, or maybe the swimming like the other Big Sisters had shown, but…

“It shouldn’t be more than a couple days,” Eleanor reassured, noticing Spike’s distress. “You’ll be fine, just be careful through Hephaestus, and Acacia’s a walk in the park!” She giggled, then made little shooing motions. “Go on, before it gets too late.”

Frenzy frowned this time. “When we get to this market for farmers, we’ll be leaving this place, though. We can get you, and Grace, but- there’s no reason for us to go there, if I understood the map right!” 

“No? I figured that was how you people found this place. I mean, that’s how it usually is.” Eleanor shrugged, and Carly bit her lip. It was true enough- the question would be if it was worth it. 

“It… well… yeah, but…” Frenzy started. Spike interrupted before he could go too far.

“We can handle it, right? That’s why you and Tenenbaum fixed us up. And… Well, I know you didn’t _tell_ us, Frenzy, but we… know Megatron well enough. He totally sent Rumble here because of Hephaestus, didn’t he? So, if we can handle it, we… might as well? I mean… and maybe we’ll find something useful for you, even. Like, actual useful…” Spike said, shrugging a little. He wasn’t exactly happy with the idea, really, but… As disturbed as Megatron had been, he didn’t want the Decepticon leader mad with the cassettes! Or with them…

The Cassette twins shared a look, but there was no answer forthcoming, just a shiver from Rumble at the mention of being sent to the city before. Carly pat his arm as she moved past him, towards the next hatch. 

“I’ll find you again, later,” Eleanor said, making no further comments. “I’m going to go clear some of the tunnels. I’ll clear and flood out a bunch of the side tunnels for you.” 

“Thanks,” Spike said politely. He was quick to join Carly, otherwise, though.

The hatch closed behind them, and the little group just paused a moment, breathing. Spike was pretty sure they were all getting used to being just each other again, and not having to deal with anyone… well, too off. “...Hey, Rumble, I’m… sorry. I… could have handled that better. ...I am glad you’re here to help us, though,” Spike said, once he was sure they _were_ alone.

Rumble gave him a little look, then shrugged jerkily. “I had ta help m’bro. An’... it’s not as bad, with people… ...An’ Megatron _would_ be happier if we… brought sumthin’ actually useful. Bu’ he won’t be mad- He was gonna nuke this whole place if ya didn’t come, ‘member. So… we can… go there, I guess, if ya wanna, but… We don’t gotta!”

“Maybe it’ll be something the ‘Bots can use too,” Carly said. “Sharing is caring, right? And if either side gets uppity, I’ll be the first to get snippy back.” She sounded somewhat grumpy about it, but shrugged as she led the way to the next hatch. 

“Even the Prime?” Frenzy asked, completely unbelieving that the human may speak against Optimus. 

Spike snorted. “Especially Optimus,” he answered. “Sometimes the guy gets wrapped up in his own head.”

“And don’t forget, we can _both_ zap him now, if he’s being stupid!” Carly added, laughing.

Rumble finally laughed a little, shaking his head as he did so. “You really _aren’t_ scared of anyone, are you? The Prime is _really_ scary- almost as scary as Megatron!”

“Yeah, I can buy that,” Spike agreed. “Though… without the ‘almost’. Optimus isn’t scary…!” The bickering was friendly, nice, and a bit of a distraction as they walked. Of course they didn’t dare get _too_ distracted, because this was Rapture, and they had left the cleared part behind them, but… a little was nice.

“Are you kidding? He’s terrifying! And he’s a Prime, that’s, like, auto-scary.” Frenzy rubbed at an arm, shaking his head, just as his brother had. 

“But he’s a big sweety,” Carly said. “...Maybe if this war of yours can end, you can see it. I mean, I don’t blame you, I guess. He can get a bit into some things.” 

“I mean… Okay, he can be a bit… silly at times. Our sibs have seen ‘nough of that sorta behavior…” Frenzy agreed, looking confused to even be saying it. “But he’s still… scary! ...Maybe we should… show ya vids of _Megatron_ being… er. Well, I can’t say silly…”

“Ooh, now I think that would scare me more…” Carly answered, taking a turn down a new tunnel, and pausing a moment as she caught sight of one of the Big Daddies. This one was out in the ocean, and seemed to be welding.

Rumble’s optics flickered, but he grinned widely. “Nah, I still think you humans just aren’t scared of anything,” he said, before getting distracted by the Big Daddy nearby. “I guess that one won’t attack us, at least.” 

“Guess not,” Spike said. “Maybe we’ll be lucky and they’ll all stay out of the way…” 

“I’d be happy with that,” Rumble agreed, watching the form as they walked past. “I’m all for saving those kids, but I’d… really rather ya not put yourselves in danger. ...Any more danger, ‘mean. Cuz you’re already kinda… here…”

Carly laughed a little, and nodded. “We’re with you, Rumble. We don’t _want_ to take on those big guys, though we’ll do it if we have to.”

The Cassettes paused at a nearby window, and Carly assumed they were looking for Reflector as she opened the next hatch. On the other side there were immediate screams, splicers dispatched by surprising power and force from Spike before she could, and before Rumble or Frenzy could get over to them. 

“Don’t do that!” Frenzy yelped. At Spike’s confused frown, he continued, “Don’t get ahead of us like that. What part of less danger doesn’t compute?” 

“It was just splicers, dude- oh. Wow. Okay, need to keep an eye on that…” Spike commented, blinking. Yeah, they were ‘just’ splicers, not even the teleporting ones or anything, but… They also were, or had been, _human_ , and he and Carly counted as ‘splicers’ now, and…

“...Maybe that ‘Jack’ the doctor mentioned knows a good psych,” Carly muttered, frowning herself. “...Or one of the ‘bots can help with it…” They both waited for the cassettes to get closer again, then for Frenzy to get ahead of them.

Getting a psych sounded like a good idea, as far as Spike could think. He sighed quietly, stretching and shifting his weaponry. “Well. Let’s hope we can get through this to see a psych, or whatever, first of all.” 

“Yeah, and be more careful to do it, too,” Frenzy agreed, still sounding a little annoyed with them. 

“Yes, Frenzy. I’ll be more careful…” Spike said, sighing. He was being mother-henned by a mech who’d tried to _kill_ him, and Frenzy didn’t even seem to notice the weirdness. “...Guess I’m just… focused on getting to this Hephaestus, and yes, I forgot these in-between areas were dangerous too…”

“Well, we’re not too far from that Welcoming area, I think. I wonder how they used to sell themselves to newcomers…” Carly said. “Though, I guess for anyone to come here, they were already sold…”

“The last newcomer didn’t have much fun,” Rosalind hummed from where she and Robert sat above, startling all four of them. 

“Not at all!” Robert added, clucking his tongue. “As everlasting as he’s become in this one…” 

“Johnny Topside they called him? Poor man.” Rosalind added. 

“I think you mean ‘poor Daddy,’” Robert corrected. 

“Oh, not you two again!” Frenzy yelped, looking up. He didn’t bother to even try aiming anything at them, quite sure it wouldn’t do any good.

“No, I mean poor man. He was a man first and last, except for when he wasn’t,” Rosalind snapped a little, before turning her attention down to the four. “And are you having fun?”

“If they’re not, they could stop by the park,” Robert mused, frowning just a little at Rosalind’s snap.

Spike stepped forward a little, one hand going to Frenzy’s shoulder. “Are you saying there’s something we should see there?”

“Are we? Is there?” Rosalind asked, turning to Robert. “I know you like the full experience, but this may be too far.”

“Well, I disagree, it’s not too far at all,” Robert answered, frown deepening. He shook his head a little, then sighed. “Then again, this may be a different one…” 

“It may. Do you think it’d make much difference in the end, though?” 

“Mmm. That depends on many non-organic factors, though.” There was a pointed glance at the Cassettes. 

“What’s that mean? Make it sound like we’re not gonna help ‘em- Course we’re gonna help ‘em!” Frenzy said, frowning again.

Carly frowned a little too, and shrugged. “We… might check it out. I think right now it depends on how on track we are to reach Hephaestus…”

“He never said the difference was on any of you,” Rosalind pointed out, with a strangely… gentle smile.

“Well, if it depends on that, you’d best be going,” Robert chided, with shooing motions. “At least, I think that’s now…”

“We’ll know when it’s then,” Rosalind comforted, reaching out to capture on of his hands.

Spike was the one that near mimicked Rosalind, grabbing one of Rumble’s hands and giving a tug. “Let’s go,” he said. “I don’t think it’ll make any sense no matter how long we stay here…” 

“It’s not the length of time you stay here,” Robert countered, waving.

“It’s simply the _time_ ,” Rosalind finished, nodding a little. “And we have infinitely more than you. Run along now.”

Spike was already trying to leave, and Carly was gently pushing Frenzy, who was in no mood to stay either. Spike was so focused on leaving that he never thought to look back and see if or how the strange two left- They probably vanished in a shimmer of air, like they had the first time, he thought.

“I don’t get how you’re so… slagging _calm_ about those two,” Frenzy griped, shooting at a random splicer without slowing down.

“Getting upset won’t change it,” Spike answered. 

“I guess so, man, but… They are _weird_ ,” Frenzy repeated.

Carly laughed a little, and Spike looked over. Even with everything going on, she looked… okay, he thought. It was good to see. “I actually find it a little amusing how _quickly_ they get to you. ...I guess, though, so far they’ve been helping _us_ , not… you, so much…” Carly frowned and went quiet.

“They aren’t normal! Especially for squishies,” Rumble added. “We can handle you guys doing some weird stuff, and a lot of stuff you do _is_ actually similar to us! But…” He shook his head, prompting Spike to chuckle. 

“So, I am curious, to know what you think is normal?” he asked, before, teasing, gently, “I mean, they act like twins, to me…” 

“They do _not_!” Rumble said, aghast. “Normal is, you know… normal! Not, like- they’re always bickering, and-”

“An’ talkin’ for each other,” Frenzy broke in. “And I _swear_ they’re taking some drugs or whatever ya got, an-”

“They’re not _normal_ ” Rumble finished, scowling. When Spike and Carly started laughing, he just looked puzzled.

Carly found herself calmed first, though she was still slightly red-faced. “Sorry, guys. It’s… I mean. Twins can be like that, for us at least. They often have their own languages, get really close, stuff like that. There was a set of twins near where I lived growing up, and <>they were unnerving.” 

“Aren’t they the ones you told me about?” Spike asked, stepping to a side to rifle through a medical station for useful things. “The two that were really quiet? Switched places a lot?” 

“Yeah. But they did weird shit, too. Even if they were on separate sides of the building they’d know where each other were at school, and that sentence thing? Yeah. All the time. Don’t get me wrong, they were the sweetest, nicest kids there, but…” Carly grinned at Rumble and Frenzy, patting the nearest mech. 

Frenzy frowned, and looked at Rumble. “That’s… normal for ya? Like… really? Like… _we_ can do that, but we gotta bond, an’... well, point is, we can. But you ain’t even got nothin’ ta bond _with_ , so… How can that be normal for ya…?”

“I’m… startin’ ta think humans are a lot weirder and… lots more scary than we thought. Even _before_ we came down here, ya were out there fightin’ us!” Rumble agreed, patting Carly back.

“Well, it’s not greatly normal,” Spike said. “We can’t bond like you guys, and twins are strange. But we try…” He smiled at Carly, and she smiled back, reaching out to touch hands when they got the chance, before adding, teasing, “And anyway, ‘course we’d fight.”

“Yeah, but ya _shouldn’t_. Most a’ us could just _step_ on ya,” Rumble answered, though he was smiling again.

“It’s… good ta know it’s not… zactly normal for ya, either. Th’ twins thing…” Frenzy commented, before shaking his head a little. “I think we might almost be near the next area? That’ll be… the welcome area? Still weird ta think o’ people comin’ here willingly…” He glanced up as he said that, as if afraid that the weird twins would show up again.

“When you’re low enough on the rung, any work is work,” Carly commented, opening the last hatch that did indeed open into an area that could be called a welcome area, ‘The Welcome Center’ flashed with neon, some broken to pieces, and none of it powered any longer, the bones of iron and glass still stood. 

Spike frowned as he caught motion, screaming splicers racing over and taken out in a moment. There was the sounds of stomping and light, grey figures that each of the humans almost fired at, crowds happy for a chance at something better than they had. Before there was nothing but civil war, and pain. The human swallowed as the visions ended. 

“Spike…? Hey, Spike, you okay?” Rumble asked, poking him a little. When Spike looked at him, blinking a little, the mech slumped in relief. “Oh, good. There ya are… only, ah… you and Carly went… weird. You were… seein’ things? ‘Cuz ya kinda tried ta shoot nothin’...”

“Y- yeah…” Spike answered, shaking his head a little. Looking back out at the ruined area gave birth to no more ghosts, and he sighed. “Yeah, I’m okay. Carly? I… wonder if those things we saw was because of what we were talking about. It’s sad, they were so happy…”

The Cassettes looked at each other, then Frenzy shook his head. “Let’s get moving,” he suggested. His comment was marred by low, whale-like moans, eerie, and very much that of one of the Big Daddies as they’d heard before. With him was the sound of high pitched giggling. 

“Oh, _no_ ,” Rumble groaned. “Don’t tell me…” He trailed off, obviously already knowing the answer, and hating it. Neither human- nor mech, for that matter- could walk away from rescuing one of the young things.


	10. For These Men, Rapture Has No Walls

It took them a little while to _find_ the Big Daddy and Little Sister pair, but at least they didn’t find many other splicers along the way. Like before, splicers seemed to avoid the Big Daddy. It was strange, when they did find them, watching the Big Daddy and Little Sister. She was so cheerful, and trusting of the Big Daddy, and as long as they didn’t get too close, they could watch as much as they liked, and when they _did_ get close… there was warning. It made them feel sorry for what they had to do, or at least Carly was frowning.

“Hit hard, hit fast?” Spike asked after a few moments of watching. He didn’t see anything on the Big Daddy that suggested a long range weapon, so… “Each take a corner? He can’t be that fast, right?”

“We each him him as he starts going for the first person? Good tactic for little guys going against big guys,” Frenzy agreed, frowning a little.

There were nods, and Carly paused to grab a couple small things from her bag. They were the tiniest grenades that Wheeljack had been able to develop. “We can use these, too,” she said. 

“Good idea. They probably won’t do a lot of damage, but they could be good for stunning,” Spike answered. 

Rumble made a soft sound. “I forgot you brought those,” he commented. “Humans think of everything.” Carly grinned at him widely, handing him out of the little grenades, then moved around the stomping Big Daddy. The biggest thing was to get into position, and then think quickly and hope for the best. 

It was almost frighteningly easy to get into position around the pair. The Big Daddy watched, but he, or it, didn’t seem to realize what they were doing until Spike threw a bolt of ice at it. If there was a pause, it was only a moment, and then the Big Daddy bellowed, while the Little Sister screamed at them. Spike scrambled back, and Frenzy hit the Big Daddy next, shooting at it.

“Get ‘em, daddy!” the Little Sister called out. “Unzip them, unzip them!” 

There was a howl from the Big Daddy as it rushed at Frenzy suddenly, and the mech made a sound of surprise when the form hit home, drill coming to close for comfort. Spike rushed over immediately, jumping up and then hanging from the Big Daddy’s back, to try and distract again, before Frenzy was harmed. 

The Little Sister started beating on Spike’s arm, while the Big Daddy bellowed and swung around. The blows, weak as they were, did have the side effect of releasing various shocks, as Dr. Tenenbaum had promised the tonic would, but Spike was in no condition to care, thrown off after a second bellow. He was pretty sure he saw a lash of fire go past as he flew, but Spike was more concerned with the approaching ground.

He hit, tumbling and rolling and scraping across the ground with a sharp groan. It hurt, a lot, and he wasn’t happy with the landing. By the time he righted himself, Carly was near, and on automatic he mentally grabbed for the nearest object- an old vending machine. In that moment, he threw it as hard as he could, swinging his hand in the gesture, and snarling. 

Rumble yelped as the vending machine went past, screaming about ‘gracias amigo’ as it impacted the Big Daddy. Carly spared a moment to toss lightening at it, and then helped Spike stand up. The vending machine exploded, which was somewhat concerning, and both Rumble and Frenzy were shooting. The Big Daddy made another charge at Spike, who launched more ice at it. The charge stopped before reaching Spike, and the Big Daddy kind of slumped down, the Little Sister clambering down as well.

“Mr. Bubbles?” she asked, before breaking down into sobbing. Spike shivered at the sound, glancing at Carly and stepping towards the young girl. 

The Cassettes didn’t move closer, watching from further back and pulling themselves together. And it was Spike that touched the girl first, activating the plasmid to change her back with a mental fumble. It felt odd, it looked odd, and he was far happier when a normal looking girl smiled at him, tears drying. “...Thank you…” 

“Do you… know how to get back to Dr. Tenenbaum and Eleanor…?” Carly asked, trying not to frown. The girl just glanced at her, and nodded before pattering off.

About half-way to one of the air-vents, the girl paused, then looked back, nodding again. “Yup. Thank you…!” she repeated. Jumping up, she grabbed at the hole, and scrambled into it. It was… odd to watch, making the whole encounter even odder.

“How many of those do we have to deal with…?” Spike asked warily. Physically, he felt fine- ignoring the bruises and bleeding and everything- but there was an emotional drain that was not the most pleasant, even with Carly near and rubbing his back. 

“Just a few, I think,” she said. 

Rumble nodded, hopeful. “Yeah. That… weird- they’re all weird. But, ah, Eleanor. She… said she’d gotten most of the Sisters? ...An’ we don’t gotta worry about the big ones as long as they’re alone. So… we need that key ta move on, right? So let’s… get looking?” He was carefully not looking at the dead Big Daddy, and Spike wondered if he were actually afraid of them. The Cassette would have every reason to be, Spike thought.

They moved to a hatch, and Carly knelt to open it while Frenzy and Spike checked around corners of the space, just in case there were any splicers around. 

“ _One of the sisters just got here_ ,” Tenenbaum’s voice clicked over their com lines. “ _Thank you. I’ll see what I may find to help you. Eleanor is not answering, she may be too far._ ” 

“ _As opposed to what, letting a little girl die?_ ” Carly answered. There was silence on the line, but the hatch was unlocked, and they awkwardly moved on to avoid that particular, horrifying, idea. 

The grand case of the Welcome Center was bright with light from the sea, blues and greens that dimmed with shadows that appeared nearby. It was Reflector, watching them and following from the outside still. Spike used the moment to try and lighten the mood, though it was quiet. “I hope they’re taking more pictures of nature than this place.” 

“Don’t worry. I’m sure most of the pictures of this place will be edited and stuff anyway,” Rumble said. “Anyway… who’s gonna believe a bunch of squishy humans built a thing like this?” He was trying to lighten the mood too, though he wasn’t sure how well it worked.

Reflector waved at them, and Carly waved back, while Spike hoped that they weren’t taking pictures. This wasn’t something they wanted to be memorialized. He went over towards the ‘Welcome to Rapture!’ kiosk, moving slowly so Frenzy could notice and move with him.

“It’s as they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day,” Carly commented as she went the other direction. 

“But unlike the continued use of land near Pompeii, when this place is gone, it won’t be rebuilt,” Spike responded with a soft chuckle. 

“Good,” Rumble said, emphatically. “...Don’t get why you build where volcanos go off, either, but… that ain’t _wrong_ , so guess I can’t say nothin’ about it. But this- well. Ya know.” He shrugged a little, and Carly patted him.

As she explored, a new machine started singing at them. This one was a bright, young girl’s voice, though the song warped and ran poorly due to the damage. There were worn statues by the side, which looked vaguely like the Little Sisters, and like the posters, and it was a stark reminder that Adam had been bought and sold here, legally- _everything_ had been legal here, and that wasn’t something any of them wanted to think about too much.

She made a soft sound, and ignoring Frenzy’s questioning frown, ripped the back panel off and reached in. There were soft shocks, but they were nothing, now, as she reached in and ripped wires from their housings. In an instant the machine’s music stuttered and then stopped, smoking slightly. 

“Thanks, Carly,” Spike said, grabbing some of the remaining pamphlets out of sheer curiosity. They were mostly advertising restaurants, and a New Year’s Eve ball, with a super creepy stylized rabbit head for that one. “It’s horrifying what people thought would get customers thirty years ago,” he added, sighing a little and moving towards her.

“It’s horrifying what gets you guys to buy things _now_ ,” Frenzy commented with a snort. 

Carly grinned at him. “Says the one who watches soap operas,” she teased. 

“Soap operas aren’t tryin’ ta sell us nothing!” Frenzy answered, optics flickering when Carly and Spike both started laughing.

“Did you ever stop to wonder why they’re called _soap_ operas? They used to be just big long commercials!” Carly answered, once she could speak. “Still might be in some places…”

There was a pause, showing just how little the two had stopped to wonder anything of the sort about any of the human television that they watched. Carly pat Rumble when she passed him, slipping around to a nearby medical station, which she then proceeded to rip into. “Not that we ever have thought of you guys as buying anything anyway.”

Rumble chuckled a little, then commented, “We do, you know. Buy stuff. Mostly from Swindle, or just favors, but… well, I guess it doesn’t need much in the way of advertisement…” He shrugged, not really concerned, it seemed. “An’ back when… Bro’ and I don’t really remember much- So, I guess we’re not in a position to talk…”

“Well, yeah, you buy that kinda stuff. But I mean, I have a hard time imagining either of you two sitting in front of a T.V. for late night sales pitches. ‘Buy this toaster and get a second one **free**! Lookit, I’m gonna try making toast on the stovetop and not in the oven, ‘cause I’m a fucking _idiot_!’” Spike said, making hand motions and voices. 

“...I could see an Autobot doing that,” Frenzy muttered. His optics flickered as soon as he spoke, and he quickly held up his hands in defense. “I mean, I could see them watching it and getting one for you guys, or something silly like that…” 

Any annoyance that there might have been, or defence for friends, ended, especially as Carly stifled an amused sound. “I can’t say you aren’t right,” she admitted. “We’ve gotten weird gifts over the years.” 

“...We actually… have watched summa those… infomercial things. ...Ta’ laugh at the people…” Rumble added. “Er… what kinda gifts…?”

“Well. ...I have three pet rocks. And I think Optimus is going to give me a bedazzler at some point soon here…” Carly answered.

“The Ginsu knives were vaguely useful,” Spike added. “I still have… no idea what to do with my chia pet now that the chia’s dead, though… And I’m still sad about the veg-o-matic...”

“I told you we should have just eaten the chia,” Carly said. “But! It’s the thought that counts. Getting a gift from someone is special.” 

Rumble shook his head. “That is just… I mean, Autobots, maybe, are hilarious in the ‘cute-ish’ way, it sounds. Why do they get you these things?” 

Spike shrugged. “They’ve been celebrating our holidays. We’ve said it’s not needed, but I guess it’s fun for them, as much as it is for us.” 

“You do have some pretty fun seeming holidays. But it’s… weird. Like, your big ones- Christmas and such? Those come around almost twice a groon! ...Time is just… weird between us…” Rumble said.

“I… hate ta’ bring the mood down, but… weren’t we looking for a restaurant or something?” Frenzy interrupted, pointing at one of the pamphlets that Spike had grabbed.

“You mean for the key? Tenenbaum gave it to Spike,” Carly said, while Spike pulled the key from his pocket. It was shaped like an ornate shell, and didn’t look much like a key. “As for Christmas, it’s only once a year for us.” 

“Weird,” Rumble muttered. But there was a new focus, another hatch, and they had to be more alert in this new area when they reached it. 

This new area was… _not_ where he’d thought they were going, either. At least, Rumble didn’t think it was. They were supposed to be on the way to the Market, and Rumble was pretty sure that this area was… wrong for that. The service tunnel they were in seemed to be going down… Hadn’t the humans decided Hephaestus was too dangerous?

But Spike and Carly both were going towards it, or at least, it seemed to be the case. “There must be a connecting area,” Carly mentioned, when Spike handed her the map they’d found. “We should see if we can get ahold of Jazz, or Tenenbaum, to see if they can still follow us, and offer advice.” 

“Their advice would be ta stay outta Hephaestus!” Rumble answered, frowning. “We don’t gotta go, really. Megatron won’t be upset, and th’Boss would probably rather we not go…”

“There might be a Little Sister here, though,” Carly pointed out. “I know we were told they’ll be okay, but… ...And I won’t deny, I’m… curious…”

Rumble’s frown intensified. “‘Human’ and ‘curiosity’ seem to go together,” he said. “It’s no wonder you create exciting new ways to off yourselves all the time.” 

“New ways to off ourselves _and_ new tech and fun stuff at the same time,” Spike responded. “Look, if we check this area, then the others can flood it, right? Better for safety, then.” 

“Exactly. That’s what’s wrong with you squishies!” Frenzy broke in, smiling at Rumble a little.

Rumble huffed, then nodded. “Yeah. Guess I… thought we was gonna flood it without goin’ in. ...Which, guess I shoulda known better…” He still wasn’t happy, and it was clear, but he seemed more content, at least. And he wasn’t going to brood, at least not while they were here, and that was what mattered.

“If we did that, and there was a child in there… or even, if there might be, I’d never be able to forgive myself,” Spike said softly. It was growing warmer as they got close, and there was a click and fizzle on the comm. lines, but no words before any of them could respond. A tube of some type, such as for messaging, beeped a moment later, and something fell through. 

There was a pause, and then Frenzy went forward, towards the tube. His optics flickered a little as he moved, reading the labels, and then he picked up one of the large cylinders. “Oh-two, it says. Er… ah! There’s a note here! Or an invoice… Oxygen, another medical package, and… candy?” He looked at the small box, and huffed.

“I don’t know if we should be grateful, or worried about that,” Carly commented. A moment later, and she was taking the medical kit carefully, and examining it. “I don’t recognize the handwriting. No surprise there.”

Spike took the candy box when it was offered as well, frowning. “Odd. This isn’t a brand I know of,” he said. “But it looks safe enough, I suppose.” 

“Looks old, too me. Like, old-fashioned…” Carly said, shrugging. “Then again, most stuff down here is the same. I’m willing to try it- this stuff _seems_ like it will help.”

“...With oxygen? Like… how? Isn’t that an explosive? ...And what you breath, we know that,” Frenzy asked, regarding the tubes with suspicion. “...I don’t quite follow how it’s helpful. I’m pretty sure that I _should_ , but… I’m not gettin’ it…”

“There’s probably not much of it down here,” Spike said. “It will be helpful if that’s the case.” 

Carly nodded, taking the cannister and tucking it into her bag. “Hopefully there won’t be too much carbon monoxide. They named this after the god of the forge, which usually means there’s fire.”

“Aah. So… this might be really useful. Okay.” Frenzy nodded a little, curiosity satisfied.

The tunnel did smell strange as they went down it, different from the mustiness of the city in general. There was a strange flatness, and soon enough the humans were having some issues breathing.

They took turns with the oxygen, and it wasn’t overly long before they could hear the sounds of a Big Daddy and Little Sister pair. If that wasn’t bad enough, the area was quite warm, and the dripping water created a strange steamy fog that made the twins quite unnerved and unhappy. 

“It sounds like it’s just this one,” Spike muttered. “I hope we can take care of them and get out of here quick. I don’t know if we’ll be able to use anything, here, it’s so… downtrodden.” 

“I’m going to say I shouldn’t use fire in this place…” Carly added. “Way too little oxygen.” They couldn’t see the pair yet, and didn’t want to stumble onto the Big Daddy. They wanted to hit first!

“Ice will be interesting down here,” Spike observed, stopping suddenly as the area shook. By now, everyone recognized the vibrations as a Big Daddy’s footsteps.

Rumble frowned, glancing at Frenzy, and then the two were pushing the humans back a little. “Divide and conquer again?” Spike asked. The most worrisome issue was how much breathing was constricted in the area. 

“Perhaps we can lead it, them, out, first,” Frenzy said, looking unhappy. 

“I think we’d have to get them angry at us and then run,” Carly answered. “And I’m not sure how long we can run here.” Spike frowned, and nodded, agreeing. Leading them out of this place would be the smarter idea, he just wasn’t sure how it could be managed.

There was a rumble nearby, then the sound of the Big Daddy, and the lighter sound of the child with him, as well. “They seem to hate me the most,” Spike said. “I should be the bait, if we do this.” 

“...And we should do this fast, before you have more air problems,” Rumble added, still frowning. “How ‘bout… we try to lead them back up the tunnel, at least?” Any ways up would probably help, but no-one had any real illusions that this would work.

There was another rumble, and the whale-moans, and then Spike nodded. “You can hit him as I try to run, maybe. Let’s go, then,” the man finally said, before squaring his shoulders and stepping towards the sounds. He wanted to do it before Carly stopped him, and was gone by the time Frenzy let go of her.

He didn’t overly _think_ about it as the Big Daddy and the child came into view, mentally picking up a nearby table as the lights on the former-person’s helm went bright, flickering colors. The moaning grew angry when Spike stepped closer, breath catching from whatever this place was. 

There was a switch to red and then Spike flung the table and ran, ignoring the shriek of the young girl for her guardian to protect her. He skidded around the corner and caught the sight of Rumble aiming- right before he went flying from the force of the Big Daddy hitting one of the near walls. He hit the wall with a gasp, lungs and head aching, and wasn’t too fond of the experience. 

Spike _knew_ he sat there for much too long, especially for being in the middle of a fight. By the time he’d shaken off the blow, Carly was zapping the Big Daddy while Frenzy and Rumble were still shooting. Laboring for breath, he shot of a bolt of ice, which caused the Little Sister to scream about bad men.

Darkness did edge his vision, but, it was gone after a moment, and he was still breathing heavier when he was tossed down the hall towards the way they’d come. The air there was slightly lighter, though, so it wasn’t nearly as bad when, as they still shot at him, the Big Daddy came roaring towards Spike, dying when it hit him and was shocked from the man. Spike groaned as he lay under the form, then made a face when Carly appeared in his line of sight. 

“I should leave you there for being stupid,” she said. “Next time you decide to be bait, I will. Then I’ll kill you.”

“Mm… If y’don’t get ‘im off me, I might not need killing…” Spike answered, half reaching to push at the Big Daddy. Moving showed that he had almost certainly cracked ribs, and so he held still instead, looking pleadingly at Carly, and then Rumble and Frenzy when she moved away.

“You’re not allowed to be bait. Now- Come here, sweety.” She cooed the last part, and Spike was sure that she was speaking to the Little Sister, who had been crying softly, and who went silent at being addressed. By the time the mechs had removed the Big Daddy from Spike, Carly had freed the Sister, who gave thanks before scurrying off to find a vent.

Painfully, Spike clambered to his feet, wincing when Rumble wrapped an arm around and under his ribcage for support. “She’s right,” he said. “Don’t do that again, got it?” There was an unhappy tilt to his voice, and worry. 

Spike swallowed one of the medical tabs they’d found before answering. “It worked, didn’t it?” he asked. “So, no problems, then.”

Frenzy, carefully, hit Spike in the back of the head. “No. Bad, Spike. Even if it did work. Do ya need more oxygen? Or can we just go up th’ tunnel an’ skip this place?” They really weren’t that far into Hephaestus, if they wanted to turn back. Spike could see, though, that neither Frenzy nor Rumble really expected him or Carly to turn back.

“We shouldn’t-” Spike started to say, trying to defend himself, only to be cut off as his earpiece, and he knew the Cassettes’ own comms, went off. 

“ _We just got a new wee one,_ ” Tenenbaum said. “ _But you should leave. Is not safe, und no more littles are there._ ”

“Whelp, that settles it,” Frenzy said. “Let’s go. Now.” He practically carried Spike towards Carly, where she still glared at him. 

Spike did his best to look hangdog and repentant- and really, he _was_ regretting his idea. It had worked, but broken ribs weren’t fun, even if he was healing much too fast. “I am… Well, it _worked_ , but… I won’t do that again. Okay, Carly? And… If we don’t have to stay here, let’s… let’s get and- I want to see this… garden that Arcadia is.”

“Frag that, as though we’d leave you down here,” Rumble muttered where he was bringing up the rear. They probably weren’t supposed to hear it, but Spike winced anyway. 

“You’re lucky I love you,” Carly answered with a grumble, softening her glare. Spike perked so visibly, that Frenzy vented and shook his head. He wasn’t happy, that much was obvious, when Spike pulled away and started stiffly walking on his own. 

As they were already part-way up the tunnel, the group just continued heading up, Spike moving slower than he liked. He paused before he got too far, looking at the body of the Big Daddy. “...You think we need the tank he was carrying? If we’re not really going further down…” 

“It… may make a good explosive…” Carly mused, but only for a moment as Rumble huffed and then threw up his hands. 

“No! Absolutely not. We are leaving this area, we are not in need of more dangerous things that may turn you two from squishies to wet smears, and I have had it with the consideration!” He managed to look like Ratchet had, when they’d once mentioned brain aneurysms around him, before he huffed again. 

Carly stifled a sound that was half-disbelief, then held up her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. We’ll leave it.” 

Spike chuckled, arm tight against his ribs, and willingly enough started moving again. “We’ll leave it. Have other things, mm… that we can use to explode things,” he agreed, grabbing the oxygen tank they’d been given for a few more breaths. The air was clearing, enough that Carly didn’t seem to need to supplement, but with breathing hurting, he thought any help he could get was a good idea.

“ _Not_ funny,” Frenzy agreed with Rumble, frowning mightily at Spike. “Come on. Arcadia’s mostly safe-ish, right?”

“That’s what we were told. Guess the splicers are ‘fraid of it.” Carly moved closer to Spike, taking the tank so that she could carry it instead. He, wisely, didn’t argue. Also wisely, he did not argue when she shoved one of the medications they’d brought with them in his hand, along with water. 

Still slower than he has happy with, Spike had to take a few more puffs of oxygen, but his ribs were, slowly, becoming not as sore. That might have just been whatever it was that he’d been given, but he was just as happy. All of them were happier when they made it back, away from Hephaestus, though both humans were sweating like crazy by that point.


	11. Love... I Have Found, Is... Beneath Her

Carly, as usual, sealed the hatch behind them, and then the turned to the tunnels and maintenance shafts that ought to connect to Arcadia. A crackle came over their head-sets as they walked, Jazz speaking to them.

-So. This new place’s got it’s own train stations and loading docks. Once Grace told us that, Astrotrain moved us all there, so, we’ll meet you there. But, ah, the people are a bit less welcomin’ than we’d hoped. They won’t hurt ya, though.-

That was, Spike thought in between breaths, _marvelously_ unhelpful. It was somewhat encouraging, though- it meant they were almost safe, almost _out_ of this place, and that was something he really wanted.

“Any more kids?” he asked. “I mean, on the way?” He pointedly ignored Frenzy’s glare, and instead focused on the pause from Jazz. 

-A couple,- Jazz answered, sounding as unhappy as either Cassette looked. -Eleanor is going after one, we’ve been told. But there weren’t many left, anyway.- 

“Well… hopefully she’ll get the other, too,” Spike answered. He didn’t want to fight any more- not ordinary splicers, and certainly not anything tougher!

“We should _make_ her get the other one,” Frenzy muttered, without any real heat to it.

Carly rolled her eyes and then shifted, pulling out water and making Spike drink before she did as well. “Yeah, you wanna tell her that?” she said, half teasing. It was a nervous tease, and he brushed his hand over hers delicately to let her know that he was better than he looked. They still didn’t want to overly risk by being too cozy. 

“Look, let’s just get to this new place,” Rumble interrupted. “If we can do that, we can at least regroup. It can’t be too hard, can it?” 

“I’m going, I’m going!” Spike answered, laughing a little, which turned to coughing. Looking abashed when it was over, he still shrugged, walking towards where they had determined Arcadia to be. There were splicers along the way, which wasn’t a surprise, nor were they much of an obstacle any longer. So much of this had become _routine_ , and ignorable, and Spike knew that if he thought about it too long, he’d probably just give up entirely.

As they walked, Spike was pretty sure that he noticed the air turning fresher, and he thought he was even smelling things, apart from the rot which had become ubiquitous. The idea made sense, if Arcadia was a place where things grew, but it was still so very weird to consider a garden under the ocean, or at least one that _wasn’t_ filled with seaweed and coral.

They reached the opening to the space, and immediately, his thoughts about how nice it was become slightly gross. There was something off, and though the trees were welcome- and beautiful, they felt wrong. He stepped closer to Rumble when he spied a silhouette of someone who’d used one of the branches to escape, down one of the side paths. 

“We should be extra careful of anything we find here,” Carly murmured as they found another path. “Who knows what… what any of the plants they had, are.” 

Frenzy frowned. “They’re just plants, though, right?” he asked uneasily. “Plants are the harmless things for you guys, aren’t they? Like, you need them.” 

Carly shared a look with Spike. He looked away as she shook her head, mouth flattening to a thin line. “Not all plants. Most of our poisons are based off of plants, and they can kill.”

“...Oh…” Rumble said, taking a step away from the plant he was looking at. “...Really? That’s… I thought plants were _safe_ on this planet…”

Carly chuckled a little, though it was pretty humorless and bitter. “Just about everything on Earth hurts something. And I don’t think there’s anything that’s really ‘safe’...” She shrugged, then started into the gardens, following the paths and keeping watch. It wasn’t even a surprise when a splicer, this one wearing a mask of wood, dropped from a tree with lightning in hand. Carly froze the splicer before anything could happen, and Frenzy shot it.

Silence fell between them, but it didn’t last long, and after a few moments of walking, Rumble spoke again. “So, wait-” he said. “If it’s that plants can hurt you, how do, you know, you, and other squishies live? Like…” 

“Well. We can eat a lot of different things, and there are parts of plants completely harmless to _us_ , but not, say, to a cat, or a bird.” Carly shrugged, then shook her head. She froze another splicer, with Spike taking aim this time, though it took him a few shots to hit. Then Carly started talking again, “And there are parts of plants we can’t eat, while we _can_ eat others. Or we can eat some, but not a lot. Or if you prepare it right.”

“Like potatoes,” Spike added. “We can eat the spud, but the roots, stems, leaves, all that? They’ll kill you quick. Dad has a story he heard growing up, about a group who went hiking in the woods, got lost- but they found an old house, and there were potatoes, sprouted in the basement- so they made soup, or whatever. Next day, they were dead.” Another pause, and another splicer fell, and Spike really wished his ribs would stop aching- that had returned with the shots he’d fired. 

“...Potatoes. You mean that thing that makes french fries? Those are _everywhere_...!” Rumble protested, shaking his head. “There’s something wrong with your species, you know.” He smiled as he said that, though, and Spike smiled back. It was _nice_ to tease about normal, harmless things- especially down here.

The moment got ruined by the comms going off again. -So, ah… We’ve been talkin’ more t’the people here… An’ they won’t let ya in while there’s any of those Big Sisters ‘round,” Jazz said, and Spike could hear the frown. “Doc Tenenbaum says there’s only one left, and she’s _gotta_ be ‘round here somewhere…-

“ _I think we can find it,_ ” Carly said into her headset, and they could see her staring off in the distance. It wasn’t a surprise, when, a second later they could hear the sound of a Big Daddy and Little Sister pair. The little sister was humming and giggling to herself. 

“She’s the last, isn’t she?” Spike murmured, watching the distance. That was the one nice thing about Little Sisters, or more correctly, about Big Daddies- they could watch as long as they needed. This pair wasn’t in sight yet, but Spike was sure they could handle that. “Bet the Big Sister’s watching them. One of us should maybe sit out the fight to watch for her…?” And these gardens were strangely claustrophobic, with miles of greenish water over too-close windowed roofs. Why had the builders picked _here_ to forgo the large open spaces, he wondered.

“It’s good of you to volunteer, Spike,” Rumble said, as Carly opened her mouth, then nodded. 

“Yes, that’s a good idea,” she agreed. 

Spike frowned at them. “And if I have to face the Big Sister alone, then, while you fight the Big Daddy?” he asked. 

“We’ll still be here,” Frenzy reminded him, a touch harder than probably meant. Spike was very much not fond of it, especially when the Cassette shared a _look_ with Rumble over his shoulder. 

“You know, I can _see_ those looks of yours,” Spike muttered, stepping a little ways back. “Okay. Here, or try to see what’s on the other side of them, if that’s better?”

Carly looked around at the plants, then frowned and motioned. “Let’s, ah, see what’s around, a little.” The mechs nodded, and Spike shrugged, because it didn’t matter _that_ much too him. Big Daddies were tough, but he was confident that the mechs and his wife could take one down, even completely without him. They pretty much had in Hephaestus! 

Moving from where he was, Spike shivered when he saw another hanging silhouette- a different one. Less than a second later and a splicer was leaping at him from one of the other trees, screaming. He dispatched them with ice and telekinesis using a tree, and found that it was easier than physical movement, for the most part. 

Down the path he spotted a moving mass of green, frowned, and then turned right back around. Rumble had already started to follow him when he gestured at the path behind him. “I vote against being anywhere near whatever is back there,” he said. He didn’t know what it was, and he didn’t _want_ to know. 

“Okay,” Rumble agreed, optics flickering a little. The cassette didn’t argue the point, though, and Carly pointed to another path, away from moving greenery. As they moved, the Little Sister came up behind them, moving to the bodies they had made.

Glancing back, Carly shivered at the scene, then determinedly turned away from the singing girl. Making a trail of bodies was, at least, one way of getting the pair to where they wanted them, and from the way she moved faster, Spike suspected that she could see an open area. He couldn’t, behind both her and Frenzy now, and trying to work out if he could telekinesis himself instead of walking.

Spike gave up thinking about it when he considered how much work it might actually take to accomplish. Maybe it was something to consider _after_ they got back out. Assuming they’d be allowed back, really. It could be dangerous, despite what was said. And that was depressing. 

He turned, thinking to ask Rumble if he was distracted, only to spot green movement. “Rumble!” he called out, automatically flinging the nearest object at the vine that was about to circle around the cassette. It snatched it, but another was right there, wrapping around the Cassette’s frame. A third went after Spike, wrapping around his throat and starting to pull him up as he struggled. 

Sparks of electricity caused the vine to loosen, but then it went tighter, and he felt himself grow light-headed. Again. What was with this place and robbing him of oxygen? Was it some higher force at work? 

His struggling had slowed by the time he was suddenly released, heat flaring against his face- Carly had burned through the vine, and he was thankful for that until he hit the ground with a thud. Three seconds of recovery was all he had before they heard screaming, and all hell really seemed to break lose. 

The Big Daddy, as expected, went right towards whatever he had decided scared his Little Sister. This time it seemed to be Frenzy, which would have confused Spike if he’d had any time at all to think about it. Spike himself was busy looking for the Big Sister, and dodging assorted plants, splicers, and- was the Big Daddy shooting _rivets_ at everything?

There was another shriek, this one the vertigo-inducing cry of a Big Sister, and Spike saw her, finally, right on the other side of the too-close glass. And she was scratching it. And he didn’t have the air needed to shout a warning, so Spike did the only thing he could think to do- shoving at her with telekinesis. It worked until she disappeared in a red haze, and he didn’t have time to curse before he had to dodge.

At first he thought that she would focus on him, but then she screamed again, and he saw, in a flash, that she was going after _Carly_. It made the most sense- she was the closest to Eleanor that was around, and the closest to the Little Sister. Said young girl was screaming about her Daddy ‘unzipping’ one of them, which did not help in the chaos. 

Carly snarled at the charging Big Sister, dodging the needle that was wielded and pulling one of the grenades from her bag. Spike missed exactly _how_ she managed it, but the grenade ended up wedged into the Big Sister’s armor, and then Carly was sent flying. 

Trying to slow her as much as possible, Spike realized how drained he felt, and she still he hit a tree with a grunt. 

“Oi, over here!” Frenzy shouted, taking his focus off the Big Daddy to fire at the Big Sister, who was moving towards Carly. The Big Sister barely glanced at him, gathering all sorts of debris into a whirlwind around her before shooting them off at him, and then going for Carly again. The plants were also going for Carly, who was shaking her head.

There was a wailing sob from the Little Sister as Rumble brought down the Big Daddy, which was soon overshadowed by another screech from the Big Sister, who picked up Carly and slammed her against the tree. Water started dripping down on them, and Carly kicked at her opponent before letting loose with an electric shock, followed by Frenzy straight up bludgeoning the Big Sister, who crumpled.

There was more water dripping, and faster, as Frenzy helped Carly up, and she reached for the Little Sister, who started screaming and crying. “We need to go. Now,” Rumble said. He helped Spike, at the same time Carly tucked the Little Sister under her arm, ignoring the obvious scratching, biting, and screaming of the child. 

It was a race to get out before the ceiling gave in, and they could _see_ the door when there was a scream- the Big Sister, again. “Aim for the grenade!” Carly hissed, trying to summon fire, but failing when the Little Sister lashed out and took her attention. 

“Got it,” Rumble answered, turning and doing so, while Frenzy worked on the hatch. The Big Sister shrieked again, the only thing she could do before Rumble’s shot hit its mark. The distruction sent the plant-life into a frenzy, and hatch opened just seconds before the glass gave way entirely, the ocean pouring in.

Each cassette grabbed the nearest human, while in the garden there were cries and screams as the splicers realized what was happening. Spike tried to help Rumble, but he was mostly just hauled bodily through the hatch, which Frenzy was working on closing. Carly had already started moving away, as fast as she could, while water rushed around her feet. “I think I see another hatch over here- I’ll try to open it,” she called, still clinging to the struggling girl.

“Give her here,” Frenzy said, grabbing for the girl so that Carly could have both hands to work. Immediately, she didn’t struggle as hard, but she did whimper and try to run back, behind them, towards her dead protector. 

The water had gotten even higher by the time they managed to get the first hatch closed and the second hatch open, water rushing out with them, into the open area. Immediately, Rumble and Carly worked at closing _that_ hatch, too, as Spike scanned for splicers, and glanced at Frenzy. “...Try making a whale noise?” he suggested, voice sounding horrendous, though it was… not really a _real_ suggestion. 

Frenzy looked at him for a moment, then answered, “No.” He did pet the girl, a little, who was fighting less and less as the hatch closed. “Not sayin’ it wouldn’t work, but you’re gonna do that thing pretty soon anyway. I can handle this,” he added, as though realizing how short he had sounded.

Frenzy was right, the hatch closing, and fully cycling, a moment later. Carly turned to face the Little Sister, who was now crying against Frenzy’s leg, while Spike maintained watch for splicers and tried to work out why his hands weren’t freezing over like they had before, showing that his plasmid was ready. The girl continued hiding against Frenzy as Carly freed her, only to blink at him in confusion once it was done and before she ran off.

At least he wasn’t as cold as Carly looked, snapping her fingers and holding the flame against one of her shoes in the hope of drying it. She opened her mouth to speak, but there was a rumble and the sound of _something_ breaking, as the lights flickered. All at the same time, they glanced back at the hatch, and Rumble flinched as it sounded like something hitting it. 

“I… hate this place…” he muttered. 

“Here specifically, or Earth in general?” Carly asked. When he didn’t immediately answer, she added. “...Maybe a bad question until after we get back.” 

“Ya think?” Rumble answered, with no real heat. Wrapping an arm around Spike again, he moved to help the human yet again, and Spike was willing enough to let him. He hurt, and he was tired, though a little less now.

It was only a little ways further to the ‘farmers’ that Grace had mentioned. There was another door, though it wasn’t a full hatch and bulkhead, and it lead to… a farm. Spike could almost imagine that he was in a giant green-house.

There was not a warm welcome, but the key they’d been given worked, as much as Carly fumbled when using it. Still, the woman who walked over to meet them looked severe and unhappy to see them, glaring at Rumble and Frenzy with much more distrust than would be expected. “You _destroyed_ the garden,” she said. “Was that purposeful to make us leave as your, _cohort_ has been insisting?” 

“You know, I am not in the mood to deal with this,” Carly answered, a hand on Frenzy before he even started to bristle. “Shut up and get your shit together, or stay here and drown. _I_ don’t care. But, lady, you _will_ get out of our faces.” Spike had to admit that he’d never quite seen Carly’s temper so… short. 

Then again, they _had_ spent the last three days being shot at, burned, zapped, slammed around, and injected with various horrible things, on top of being short of sleep and sorely in need of more showering. Put that way, Spike was surprised that _he_ felt so charitable. “Anyway, it was the Big Sister who cracked the glass. And what, you _want_ to stay down here?” Anyone who _wanted_ to stay in Rapture was automatically suspect in Spike’s book.

The woman frowned harder, then huffed and motioned to the distance. “Well. Then convince _them_ that we at _least_ need time to pack. Can’t go uprooting our whole lives in a day! And I _know_ some of the plants we grow were nearly extinct topside- don’t lecture, we’re not stupid. Go talk to your _friends_.”

“It was pretty damn stupid to come down here in the first place,” Carly muttered as the woman turned and flounced away. She glanced up at Frenzy, then at Spike and Rumble, pausing. Voice dropping to a whisper, she added, “Did either of you want to smack her, too? Was it just me?” 

“...Well. It wasn’t just you,” Rumble said. He pulled Spike closer against him, looking around, and vented. “Let’s at least get to who ever is here…” he said. Wasn’t it Jazz? But this place was strange- there was the thump of steps immediately, and Spike gave a tired smile. 

“I hear ‘Bee,” he said. 

“ _Spike_!” Bumblebee said, as Spike had expected. He hurried over, careful of where he stepped, but stopped when he got close, frowning a little. “Spike- Carly- Are you- I’m sorry! But you- we’ll be leaving as soon as we can. I think Astrotrain is voting to come back for these people… But Grace is coming with us, to talk to Megatron.”

Spike smiled wider, then shook his head. “Hey. It’s… it’s all good. You don’t have anything to apologize for.” 

“Yeah, they’re the ones that’ve been sending us into spark-attacks,” Frenzy muttered, only to seem to remember who he was talking to, looking away. Spike had to admit that he found it to be a bit sweet. 

Bumblebee paused, then put on a smile that was only a little forced. “Thank you. For… well, _trying_ to keep them safe. I… do know how it is, though not- I mean, they’re alive, and doing okay, and thank you. ...Especially you, Rumble. I know you… didn’t want to come back…” The look on the Cassettes’ faces, Spike thought, was priceless, almost worth the pain that laughing caused.

“O-oh, yeah, you’re… welcome?” Rumble answered after a moment, still looking like he’d been slapped. He shifted after a moment, glancing down at Spike, when the human cringed through the laughter. “Stop that. It ain’t that funny _and_ you’re hurting yourself!” 

Bumblebee made a face, then gave a low vent. “Spike, you _know_ better,” he said. “Want me to take him, Rumble?” All at once, the grip Spike felt on him tighten, and Bumblebee’s optics narrowed. “Actually- it may be better if I get energon for you two, and let Jazz know what’s going on. Comms are weird here.” 

“That sounds good, thanks, ‘Bee,” Carly agreed, doing her own looking around. She barely even flinched when there was an explosion of red and Eleanor appeared near them. The farmers around them weren’t nearly so at ease, but Eleanor simply waved.

“Hey. Auntie told me to let you know she’s in a bathysphere with her remaining little ones. We’ll find you topside, okay? But you can go and flood the suites, we’re out. And I should get back, unless you want me to hitch a ride with you,” she said, cheerfully, ignoring the panic her appearance had caused.

“Thanks for letting us know, you can go ahead- we can, ah, talk later?” Carly answered, the first to think, probably. They saw the angry woman from earlier walking over, and so that didn’t help, though she stopped when Eleanor popped out of existence again. 

Frenzy made a sound, shifting closer to her. “I hope that does not become a thing for us,” he commented. 

Carly pat Frenzy, soothingly. “Don’t worry. Neither Spike nor I can do that. So it’s just her, and Skywarp, that you know who can teleport. ...And maybe those twins. I’m not sure about them…”

“Hope. That does not. Become a _thing_ for us,” Frenzy repeated, before huffing a little. “Come on, let’s find a place for ya to sit down.” Carly nodded at the idea, and Spike gave a happy moan at the thought, and the Cassettes immediately started helping them move in the direction that Bumblebee had gone.

“Just be warned that if I go down, I _may_ not get back up,” Spike joked, side giving an unhappy twinge at the movement. He was already feeling the effects of adrenaline leaving his system, and tiredness was there. Maybe, before they left, a nap could be in order. 

Rumble made a sound in his chest. “That may be a good thing. We can carry you- I mean, don’t worry.” 

“Us, worry? Of course not,” Carly answered, though she turned and Spike spotted the _look_ that she was giving him. They both had worried about being _allowed_ back to the surface- of course. But that wasn’t going to be said, especially with the way that the Cassettes had reacted to the idea. 

It was, Spike admitted, a relief to sit down, once they found a bench. The farmers were still watching them distrustfully, but as long as they weren’t being attacked, Spike didn’t care. Bumblebee came back after a bit, carrying energon as promised, and bringing some wrapped sandwiches for the humans. Spike chuckled a little at the sight, remembering how Astrotrain had been interested in the microwave foods. The sandwiches were even heated up, and Spike was quite happy for his.

“...I think the plan is to take you, and Grace, back to the _Nemesis_ , since the people here want to pack. Then First Aid can get a look at you- and of course I’m sure Hook’ll want to look at you two, too?” Bumblebee said, after watching them fuel.

“Sounds good to me,” Spike said. He felt gross, and was pretty sure he looked even grosser- and he wasn’t sure how much of what was splattered on him was blood, let alone his own blood. He worried about Carly, too, and wanted nothing more than to cuddle close to her as soon as this was over. 

Frenzy made a face. “Want to trade? You can have Hook’s tender mercies, and we can have First Aid.” He obviously wasn’t expecting Carly to pat him, then wince. 

“Sure,” she said. “Hope you like being tied down and prodded as much as we do.” 

“But… First Aid is supposed to be _nice_. Beaky and Buzzy both say that…!” Frenzy protested.

“Yeah. He uses anaesthetic!” Rumble agreed, with the slight over-emphasis that Spike knew meant teasing. It was almost funny, how quickly he’d noticed that…

Bumblebee’s optics flickered a little, then he offered, “So does Ratchet. Does that make Ratchet ‘nice’ to you? Not that he isn’t, of course-”

“Yeah, but Ratchet’ll hit you if you’re stupid, everyone knows _that_ ,” Frenzy answered, waving a hand.

“But ‘Aid makes sad faces, which is worse,” Spike said. “Ratchet snaps and grumps, but ‘Aid is _disappointed_ , and sad.” He leaned against Rumble, but smiled a little. “Anyway, we don’t mind if you want to take advantage of ‘Aid being around as the ‘nicest’ one.” 

Carly nodded, then added, “Yeah. We’re not badly hurt, so…” So it made sense. Most of their injuries were painful, sure, but they weren’t life threatening, either. 

“Not badly hurt? I don’t wanna know what _is_ badly hurt, then!” Rumble snapped, shifting to hold Spike better. “You’re all scary. Humans’ ‘re suposed ta be squishy, not scary.”

Once again, Bumblebee’s optics flickered, the mech clearly not sure how to handle the changes in the human’s relationship with the cassettes. He was saved from having to answer by Jazz coming over, grinning when he saw Spike and Carly.

“Well, you don’t look too horrible, I think. Wanna move this little party on over t’Astrotrain?” Jazz asked, patting carefully at Carly.

Carly smiled, but didn’t move from where she was near Frenzy, and Spike was happy to see her comfortable. “Mostly bruises,” she told him. “I think, anyway. I’m more than happy to get out of here, now.” 

“Starscream and Soundwave have made sure there’s clean and hot water for all four of you,” Bumblebee said. “Either First Aid or Hook will want basic scans, I’m sure, but then you can get clean.” He didn’t look happy at the mention of bruising, and Spike remembered the first time the poor mech had seen a bruise. 

“Oh, goody!” Spike said, quite happy. “Tenenbaum was nice, but actually hot water will be great. We’ll have to thank them, too- and of course we can give them scans.” He looked down at himself, then grinned a little a Bumblebee. “Gonna be some really colorful bruising…”

“For clean and hot water, we need to leave here…” Rumble pointed out, carefully standing up. He didn’t wait for Spike to even start standing up himself, simply picking the man up, while Frenzy did the same with Carly. Neither human felt inclined to argue, partly because they knew it wasn’t that far to Astrotrain.

“Reflector is going to stay around here, I think,” Jazz said, as they walked. “They want as many pictures as they can get, which… I don’t think I blame them.” He didn’t add what all six of them knew- Reflector was staying to keep an optic on the farmers, too. 

That made sense, and Spike made a soft sound as they made it to Astrotrain. He pat the mech’s armor when they got close enough and his hatch opened. It was a small greeting, and all he, honestly, felt up to doing. 

Carly mimicked his motion, as well as spoke, “Good to see you, again.” It was quite soft, but the large mech shifted enough for it to be visible. 

“Good to see _you_. And the troublemakers,” Astrotrain answered, quietly, once they were in. Rumble and Frenzy huffed as they sat down, and Spike smiled a little. He wasn’t sure if Astrotrain was _really_ glad to see them, or if he was just happy to leave, but overall… it didn’t really matter. Spike certainly wasn’t _worried_ about either option, content to just lay there and relax. And not breath rot- it took Spike a few moments, and breaths, to realize that the tang of death was being filtered out, and it was so much better.

Leaned against Rumble, Spike concentrated on breathing the cleaner air deeper, despite how much that hurt. He closed his eyes every so often as he did so, taking time to try and breath and relax. Closing his eyes happened more and more often, he wasn’t sure when Carly started talking, but he could hear the soft drone of her voice until the world shifted away, into sleep.


	12. I sent myself here for a reason… didn't I?

Carly was happy to see Rapture falling away behind them, while Grace was standing at the window with an unreadable expression. No-one really spoke on the way to the _Nemesis_ , and once they were on the ship, Soundwave was waiting for them, with Prowl. Everyone agreed that the first stop was the medics, and Rumble was adorably hesitant to wake Spike. The concern was somewhat mitigated by Prowl’s statement that he’d made sure there would be coffee waiting for them, as soon as he’d heard they had started on their way.

Somewhat to Carly’s surprise, Hook was very interested in them, hanging back and watching First Aid scan them until Carly laughed and invited him to do his own scans. That was something she had learned from Ratchet- every medic preferred to run their own scans, and she thought it was kind of cute.

“It’s okay,” she said. “It’s not like it’ll hurt us. I’m sorry, though, I don’t quite want to lift my arms…” First Aid had assumed that, she was pretty sure. Her head was killing her, though, too.

“Mm, yeah,” Spike added, still on the sleepy side- which Carly thought was very much adorable. 

“Could I… get a fluid sample as well?” Hook asked, very _shy_ about the whole thing. He _had_ started scanning the moment Carly offered, and very gently prodded her to make her turn. “If you were supported, could you lift your arms? Why… don’t you want to?” With that, Carly realized that what was _really_ going on was Hook indulging his curiosity- though First Aid was watching carefully.

Carly gave a small smile, and was grateful when First Aid did help answer for her. “Pain, most likely,” he said. “Contusions, and I noticed that your climbing gear was used- not to mention the two cracked ribs I’m noticing.” 

“Yeah,” she agreed. “Bending is going to suck so, so much for a while. Pretty sure Spike’s worse off, though.” She glanced at him, remembering how her heart had skipped beating when he’d been hit by the Big Daddy, and again when he’d been grabbed by the plant. As well, she worried about Rumble and Frenzy, too.

“Spike?” Hook turned towards the man, who blinked up at him. “Ah. Your ribs are cracked, and… First Aid? Is that one rib broken?” The mech also glanced at Rumble and Frenzy, who were being seen to by Scavanger and Scrapper, watched closely by Soundwave. “Fascinating, though there is nothing that can be done about them. And your limbs are unbroken. The blows to your head, Carly, are the most concerning- and also currently untreatable.” Hook was clearly frowning at that.

Spike shrugged, and Carly shook her head with a sigh. “We should be okay with time,” she said. “And yeah, you can have samples, or whatever.” 

“A lot of human medicine turns out to be ‘self-healed in time,’” First Aid added, to Hook. “...If it is okayed by Ratchet, and these two, I… could offer our files?” Carly was certain that they were included due to some of those ‘files’ including scans of them, and nodded. 

Nodding too, Spike shifted with a wince. “I don’t care,” he said. “And you can have whatever you want.”

Hook reached for a very, very small needle, and carefully took blood samples from them both. All Carly could really think about was how much smaller this needle was than anything down in Rapture had been. “Thank you. This will… be sufficient for now. I… imagine you would like to get clean?”

“We asked Sparkplug to get more clothing for you both,” First Aid said, more reassurance than anything.

“They gotta wait ‘til we’re done- ah. If ya wanna, Spike, Carly,” Rumble said, looking up suddenly. “...But if ya can’t really lift your arms, we can… get ya hair an’ stuff?”

Carly looked up, then smiled. “That would be nice,” she agreed after glancing at Spike and noticing that he seemed alright with it. “Thank you,” she added. 

“Yeah,” Spike said. “We left some stuff here, anyway, didn’t we?” 

They had, Carly remembered, and First Aid nodded in confirmation. “Yes. But we figured you would appreciate something more. I think it may be best that you use scissors to remove those.” 

“Scraplet here already laid stuff out for ya’, though,” Hook added. 

“Give us the scissors, and we’ll soak off the rest. Because, yeah… these clothes need burned,” Carly said, thinking about what ‘Jack’ was reported to have said. She wasn’t surprised to find it right…

First Aid nodded again, but it was Hook who fished scissors out of one of the drawers, and handed them to her. “These can get wet,” he assured her, and at roughly the same time Frenzy stood.

“So, we’ll need a re-wire, but that can wait. Let’s get this sludge outta us all, kay?” the little mech said, grinning. He only glanced back at Soundwave for a moment, and Carly was pretty sure that she saw the telepath nod. It was kind of sweet.

“I believe that will be sufficient. It will give me time to discuss with Hook, and Ratchet, which antibiotics will be best.” First Aid probably ignored the face Carly made at the mention of the medication, and Hook helped all of them move. He looked pleased, too, which made sense. 

Carly was simply happy to be led to a place to get clean, though she planned on sleeping for as long as possible, when she got the chance. 

Rumble and Frenzy went to get the water, which was nice, because there seemed to be a lot more options than Carly wanted to deal with, and they had to reach up more than she would have liked. As soon as she was assured that it was safe, though, she walked into the water, letting out a little mewl as _hot_ water poured over her. A moment later she was hissing as said water found her cuts and scrapes, but even that wasn’t too bad.

“Thank you, guys,” she said, glancing over at Spike. He was slower to move, but he was just as happy with the warmth as she was, especially when Rumble followed him. It was amusing to realize just how _much_ the twins had seemed to pair off with them, even from the beginning. 

“We need ta get clean too…” Frenzy answered, kind of shrugging a little. The water _was_ brownish where it ran out of him, too, brownish and reddish, but not as much as was running off the humans. “Here… we can start cuttin’ things. Since… it’s gonna be needed…”

“Did ya want your hair clipped more?” Rumble asked, also twisting under the water. The spray was meant for a full-sized mech, and so there was a fairly large area being sprayed, which was nice for the four of them.

“If you don’t mind, sure,” Carly answered. 

Spike grinned a little. “And you could have washed up first,” he teased gently. Carly spotted him reaching out to pick at a spot on Frenzy’s armor, where mud was sticking, before she was turned so Rumble could snip her hair into a better shape, mostly just evening it. 

A moment later and he tugged the hem of her shirt, too, starting to cut a line up. Carly’s breath caught at a burst of pain when, half-way up, the cloth wasn’t quite wet enough, and had dried against one of her wounds.

“Sorry!” Rumble squeaked, pausing and running more water against the cloth. “An’ anyway… you’re gonna need longer, so… we can wash when you’re doing whatever…” He started working on the cloth again, slower, and cutting around anything which seemed stuck.

“Yeah. Like, I can wash now!” Frenzy agreed. There were sounds, most likely him getting soap or something. “Ah… An’ we know ya missed it. But. ‘Parently th’ Boss is datin’ Prowl and Jazz now?”

Carly blinked, then smiled a little. “Are they? Well, I’m surprised, but, I can’t say it’s not good, right? That sounds really cute.” It was kind of romantic, wasn’t it? Carly thought it might be, or maybe that was just the stress and let down of adrenaline talking. She turned a little, then reached back, trying to find where the fabric was stuck, but couldn’t reach quite right. 

“Are you okay with that?” Spike asked, Carly had missed him removing his shoes and socks, and he was, trying, to work at his belt now. “I mean… you know. Protectively? Or is this where I’m putting human expectations on… if so, I’m sorry.” 

“They ain’t… gonna hurt ‘im. ...An’ properly speakin’, we ain’t supposed ta worry ‘bout protectin’ him- not like this. Someone’s attackin’, sure, but his emotions? Not really,” Frenzy answered. “But they ain’t gonna hurt ‘im. An’... it means fightin’s gonna be less…”

“Are _you_ ‘kay with it?” Rumble asked, moving Carly’s hands and starting to tug on the fabric for her, much more gently than she would be. It did give her time to start removing her own shoes and socks, but she wasn’t sure about the pants.

She blinked at the question after a long moment, cocking her head at the question. Spike answered first, anyway. “Well, yeah? Why not- It means you’ll not be as keen to fight, and out of _all_ of them, Prowl is the _least_ I’d imagine to worry about.” 

“Considering he scrutinized me to hell and back when I went after you? Ye-ah,” Carly teased him, causing him to make an embarrassed sound. The teasing helped to distract her when the fabric was pulled free from her back, and she was able to drop the entire shirt in a pile. That just left her bra and bottoms when her pants, luckily loose, could be kicked away. 

“Are ya… takin’ those off, too?” Rumble asked, hesitantly. “An’ ya mean… that Prowl made sure you were good for Spike…? That’s… that’s cute…” He reached out, and gently rested his hand on Carly’s ribs for a moment before snatching it back. “Oh, sorry- they’re hurt, aren’t they? I know better…”

Carly laughed, stealing the scissors so that she could cut the bra straps and front piece- and avoid the parts of her back that hurt like crazy. It was easy to do the same with her underwear, passing the scissors to Spike, and then she reached for Rumble’s hand. “It’s okay, here, this is the good side,” she might have been embarrassed, before, but now the curiosity was endearing, and sweet. Pressing his fingers against the uninjured part of her rib-cage, she added. “When they heal, you can touch the other side.” 

“Are you curious, too?” Spike asked Frenzy, and Carly _was_ amused to notice that they’d ‘switched’ twins. 

“Yeah…” Frenzy admitted, reaching when he was invited. “You don’t… look much like we’d expect. Like, you’re both so… different from each other. An’... yeah, it’s weird…”

Shifting a little, Carly turned so she could see Spike and Frenzy better, and grinned. “You know, if you pressed just a little more… it feels kinda good. Like a massage. Er, unkinking?”

“Yeah, but… these are _struts_. An’... is your back okay? The center strut looks… er… nobbly…” Frenzy repeated, while Rumble moved on to Carly’s spine, tracing it lightly enough to make her shiver.

“There’s muscle and skin over them,” Spike said. “Actual bone feels different.” 

Nodding, Carly added, “It’s okay, you’re feeling outer bits of vertebra. On some people, you can see the individual parts.” She looked at up Rumble, grinning at the way he looked startled. “Is that the face ‘Bee made the first time?” she asked Spike. 

“Pretty much,” he confirmed.

Carly laughed, which started Frenzy laughing, and then Rumble, who was still making a face. The rest of the shower went pretty much the same, with laughter and teasing and just… enjoying _safety_ , even if they were still on the _Nemesis_. A nap was next, enforced by Spike and Carly both nearly falling asleep while drying off- or at least, a nap was _planned_ next, but First Aid was waiting for them outside, with a selection of pills, water, and more snacks.

“Pain meds, antibiotics, and ointment for your scrapes. I know you’re tired, and probably don’t need much of this, but you can nap afterwards,” First Aid said, handing things over.

Frenzy took them before either human could, nodding. “We’ll make sure of it,” he said. “Can we go to where we’ll recharge first?” 

It took Carly a lot longer, and a lot more mental work, to realize that there was an assumption of she and Spike sleeping where ever the Cassettes were going to recharge. She had to admit that she liked that, right then. It wasn’t that she wouldn’t feel safe with the Autobots, or even alone, but… Okay, maybe it was just human nature to get attached. 

Thinking distracted her so much that she didn’t notice First Aid’s words, or that he was gone, until the closest of them tugged at her. “Come on,” Spike said. 

Carly muttered something indistinct, her lack of earlier nap starting to catch up to her. By the time they reached the smallish room that was their destination, she didn’t even notice much of anything other than a padded berth surface. It looked too big to belong to just the cassettes, but she didn’t worry about it, figuring she’d get the whole story later, when she was awake. Right now, she wanted to cuddle up with Spike, and having Rumble and Frenzy with them was… not at all a bad idea. Maybe someday they could even include Bumblebee…

Still musing to herself, Carly let Spike help her onto the berth, and tug her down. Sleep came quickly, and she didn’t really wake up enough to think until almost a day later- and then it was enough to think and want more pain meds. And food.

She could hear voices, including panic, from one of the Cassettes. “Rumble,” First Aid said, drawing her out of sleep further. “It’s okay. Those are just subdermal-” 

“They turned colors!” Rumble interrupted. “I thought you an’ Hook scanned ‘em for stuff!”

There was a long vent, and then First Aid shifted. “They look horrendous, I know, but they’re bruises, nothing major,” he said. “I promise you, they will be in pain, but there is nothing we can do about them beyond medication and ice packs.” 

Carly made a soft sound through her teeth, groaning as she sat up and _felt_ what they were talking about. Looking down, and she could see said bruising had turned her magnificent shades of purple-blue and red in some places. Spike was similar in appearance- but looked like he was sleeping right through it. 

“Wow. Guess that’s… what happens when you say hi to a tree…” Carly muttered, looking herself over. First Aid was ready with more pain meds, and this time he had hot, or warm, coffee for her to take the pills with. “I’m okay, Rumble. Knew this was coming. You’ll be able to watch us turn colors. We’re fine, like ‘Aid said…”

Rumble didn’t stop pouting, awkwardly trying to help her sit up and drink. “You _turned colors_ ,” he grumbled. “You turned colors, and that’s normal?”

“Yeah… Pretty much is,” Carly answered, stretching just a little before pain stopped her. “...We should wake up Spike- he needs to drink and get meds too. And… Food. I am _so_ hungry, he must be starving.”

“That would make sense, especially if your metabolic rate has increased because of the changes. We have food for you both.” First Aid offered her a pre-packaged snack cake, the edge of the plastic pinched between two fingers, and she opened and ate it as he scanned her, then started to wake Spike. 

He was just as unhappy with movement, and he thanked First Aid while already opening his own. Carly winced at the thick band of bruising that was around his throat, mostly because of the location. Catching Rumble’s unhappy frown, she pat his arm. “It’s okay. We’ll heal up fine, and probably extra quick, too.” 

“That don’t ‘zactly help,” Rumble muttered, still frowning. As he frowned, Frenzy pat him, apparently having been awake for a while, but not said anything- likely to help Spike sleep.

First Aid pat Rumble as well, smiling. “I know, I know. They’re so fragile, but they keep fighting, and… well, you’ll manage. Carly, Megatron and Optimus would like to discuss a few things with you, once you’re awake more. Medic says they can wait as long as you need, though.” His smile took a little turn which suggested that he was actually kind of enjoying flexing his prerogative here, and she wondered what Hook thought of it all.

“Thanks ‘Aid,” Carly said. She ignored the ‘fragile’ comment made about them, in favor of opening another of the cakes he dropped in her lap. “We’ll be okay to go, probably soon.” 

“Are we wanted, too?” Rumble asked, though he obviously didn’t _think_ that would be the case. When First Aid shook his head, he looked quite happy about that, too. 

Carly was happy for him, honestly. “You can recharge a bit more, yeah? And fuel,” she said. Spike mumbled his agreement, but it was muffled by food. 

Rumble looked at Frenzy, then shrugged a little. “Fuel, maybe. An’... maybe some time with th’ boss…”

“There. You’ll be fine. And we’ll… probably want more cuddles after the meeting, if you… feel like it…” Carly agreed, shrugging a little herself. She didn’t want the twins to feel as if they _had_ to spend time with them, now. “We can talk more later, anyway.”

“...Yeah, sure.” Frenzy said. He looked happier at the mention of seeing them later, though, and Carly was sure that he was trying to hide that he liked them. She didn’t dwell on it, as First Aid offered her one of his hands to climb into. 

“You can have better food, later,” he said. “I don’t want you to get into the habit of eating junk food. But it _is_ high calorie.” And her body approved of it right then, certainly!

Carly laughed, and nodded. “I did wonder why you were handing out snack cakes so freely. Believe me, ‘Aid, I will quite eagerly eat _fresh_ foods later on, once we’re _not_ on the ocean floor. Which, as soon as possible for that, please and thank you,” she agreed. Spike climbed onto First Aid’s other hand, and they waved at the twins as First Aid carried them away.

“We’ll just have to see how long that willingness lasts, though,” First Aid teased back.

“I give it a week,” Spike answered, and he leaned against First Aid’s hand as he was carried. Carly chuckled quietly at him. 

They were watched by a few of the mechs they went by, but Carly was too pleased with being _safe_ to care. It was just a little odd to consider herself safe around some of these mechs, but that was more of an idle observation than anything else. It didn’t take long, at First Aid’s pace, to reach another room, where Optimus and Megatron were both waiting. It seemed to be an office, and Carly giggled at the thought of Optimus sitting next to Megatron while the Decepticon leader did paperwork.

He vented at the sight of them, and Carly caught sight of a shift from Megatron. They must look a fair bit worse than they thought- the Cassette’s reactions aside- and she tried to smile, anyway, for Optimus’ sake at the very least. 

“Are you both up to this?” Optimus asked. He had to be frowning under his facemask, and they could hear it. “It _can_ wait…” 

“Rumble and Frenzy’s initial report, coupled with the… guests who were brought back, have provided enough details for a bit,” Megatron said, and it took Carly a moment to realize that he was agreeing with Optimus.

Carly shook her head a little, looking at her arm. “I’m good for this. Just, ah… ‘Aid, do you have any more snack cakes?” She was still hungry, and could use more coffee, really, but that could wait.

First Aid answered by setting them down, and then pulling more of the cakes from subspace. “I’ll go see about other food for you- proper food,” he said, smiling and then nodding his head at the leaders, and slipping away, before they could thank him. 

“We’ll be okay,” Spike said. “What info do you want from us? I mean, beyond agreeing that it should be completely destroyed?”

“Well, that was my first question,” Megatron answered, smiling just a little. “I’m inclined to give those… farmers about three more days before I’m out of patience…” He didn’t glance at Optimus, who was shifting unhappily. “What about the, ah, doctor I hear you were in contact with? Or the others that you, ah, rescued?” He paused, then added, “And I’m not actually asking about that… mutagenic thing. You’re not mine.”

Spike glanced at her, and then nodded. “Tenenbaum is out- she was there to try and save the kids. It doesn’t sound like she’ll be trouble, if that’s what you want to know.” He paused, making a thoughtful sound, then added, “It doesn’t seem like we’re going to go crazy, at least.” 

“Yeah. I mean, from what they told us, it is _extreme_ uses of the stuff that leads to the issues.” Megatron started making a face, and she continued with, “I know you didn’t _ask_ , but we’re reassuring.”

“I would also worry about disorders brought about by… fighting like you have, and the damage done,” Megatron answered, with only a faint frown. “And do not think this makes me a hypocrite, Prime.”

“She and Eleanor mentioned someone else, and… I think it would be a good idea for us to keep in contact with them. This is the sort of thing that might send us into shell shock, I guess,” Spike said, focusing on his next snack cake.

Hypocrite was not the word that came to mind,” Optimus answered. “At any rate, your comment reminds me that we should discuss how to handle such issues for both of our peoples. That includes disorders.” 

“Keeping contact with Rumble and Frenzy is something we should do, too,” Carly added. “The whole fight-now-not-fight thing has been sudden, but you won’t hear any complaints from us.” 

“Yeah,” Spike said. “You’ve done the peace-things often enough, right?” 

“Given what Soundwave is now pursuing…” Megatron muttered, huffing a little. “Though we won’t back down from our moral concerns.” He frowned, and Optimus just nodded. Carly was sure that Optimus had been hearing about that for a while now, and was somewhat surprised when Megatron cycled his vents again. “It should- be possible for you to maintain contact with Rumble and Frenzy. For their health…”

“Of course,” Carly agreed, trying very hard not to smirk. “Anything else, then?”

Optimus rumbled, then gave a small nod. “I would like your opinion about what we should tell your government-” he paused as Megatron shifted and crossed his arms unhappily, but then powered through. “They have inquired about the recent cease-fire.” 

If nothing else, it was worth the look on Megatron’s face as Carly scowled. “Trust me when I say don’t tell them _anything_ about Rapture. It would be an utter mess.” 

“You could say that two of your highest level officers decided to make love, not war,” Spike said. “That’ll shut down any real questions…” He barely looked up from eating, and it was adorable. 

Carly giggled at Megatron’s expression, and then again when the silver mech turned thoughtful. “Megatron, _no_. There are some things humans as a whole don’t need to know about us!” Optimus said, urgently.

“But it would shut down questions,” Megatron answered, as blandly as Carly had ever heard him.

“Anything _useful_ ,” Optimus asked, dropping just enough of his ‘Prime persona’ that Carly knew he was _really_ comfortable with Megatron- and it was cute.

Spike looked up this time. “Why be useful now?” he asked. “I haven’t been useful since the day I found you guys.” 

“You could blame it on the sea vent down there,” Carly said after a long moment of thought. “Just that there was a possibility of damage to the ship, here, and you wanted assistance… and it’s just filtered from there. I mean. If you _really_ don’t want to terrorize government stooges.” 

“That… may be an idea,” Megatron agreed thoughtfully. “It is near that volcano, I believe, too. I will definitely consider that…”

“Great. So. Not to be rude, but… Can we get to the surface soon?” Spike asked. “I am really missing the sun, and fresh air. Though I fully expect to stay here until the medics clear us- even though I’m _fine_...”

Optimus made a sound that was two parts disbelief, and one part done-with-Spike’s-slag, as he called it before. “Although you have enjoyed terrorizing us with human behavior, Spike, even I know what is not ‘fine’ and what is,” he said. 

“We aren’t ‘fine’ but we aren’t bad, either. Feel free to ignore him,” Carly suggested, glaring at Spike hard enough that he flinched. 

“Given that you’re bickering, I tend to assume you’re… well enough,” Megatron said, once again poorly hiding a smile. “...If… it is not too much to ask, at some later point, I may wish to… see what abilities I have heard you have gained. That is more curiosity on my part, though.”

“Sure-” Carly started, only to be interrupted by the door opening.

“Oop- hey Spike, Carly. OP, Megs, I’m supposed t’pass on a message,” Jazz said, looking not much the worse for wear. “The Doc called me to ask if I, or we, got any ideas for one a’ the girls. Got no place for her t’go.”

Instantly, Carly shifted, and she didn’t even have to look at Spike to _know_ how to handle it. They’d talked, in the past, had planned to wait- but had also considered if an ‘accident’ happened, to be fine with it. And now, with this genetic stuff… “We’ll take her,” she said.

“We can take care of her,” Spike said at the same time. It reminded her that she really had chosen the best person to be married to. Finally glancing back at him, she smiled. 

“You’re currently injured,” Optimus said, gentle. “May I suggest, if you should do this, Sparkplug be asked to care for the child until you have had time to heal?” he paused, then added, “At the very least, so that you can make room, or reconsider the offer to stay with us in the _Ark_.” 

That one had Spike and Carly holding a short conference via glances before Carly answered. “I think… it would be better to ask Tenenbaum if she can keep the child- On the other hand, Sparkplug _did_ raise Spike…”

“Hey! I didn’t shoot lightning _then_!” Spike protested. “But… you do have a point. We’re not quite in condition for a kid.” He frowned, and Carly suspected he felt the same way she did- the idea of taking in one of the former Sisters was… quite enticing. And terrifying. Terror was probably the stronger emotion. 

Jazz smiled widely. “‘Always knew we got th’ best human sidekicks. I’ll let’er know and prod Sparkplug,” he said. “That sound good?” he waited for them to nod, before bowing out. 

Silent through it, and surprisingly so, at that, Megatron cleared his throat, “I believe you should ping for First Aid for them,” he said. “And, I admit, I thought this species could not cause surprise any longer, but have been proven incorrect.” 

Optimus made a sound of his own, then put a hand on Megatron’s arm. “I understand,” he said, glancing at the humans in a way meant to be teasing in and of itself. Then he continued, “Just wait until they’re healed. As this peace lasts, you may find yourself trying to steal them from us.” 

If they could, Carly would have said it looked like Megatron had bitten into a lemon. She stifled a laugh, reminded that her side still hurt like crazy. “I highly doubt that, Prime,” he said, eventually. “You have a small herd- I would think to choose ones that have less attachment.” It took them a moment to realize he was _joking_ back. 

“...Maybe that prince dude Rumble mentioned…?” Carly said, deciding to see if she was allowed to tease too. “Though, I mean, I hate to tell you, but _we_ , at least, are already a bit attached…”

“I’m sure you are,” Megatron answered. “And even with that, you’d find a way to make me regret trying to steal you, I am sure.” Spike chuckled at that, and First Aid came for them shortly, with actual food for them to eat on the way back to a nap.

Carly couldn’t help but smile when they spotted Rumble and Frenzy, and the Cassettes visibly perked. They tried to hide it, but she knew Spike noticed too. A nap, yes, and checking on them, and then they would consider what they’d agreed to, and how their lives were, again, irreversibly changed. But, sleep came first.


	13. And In The End, What Was Your Reward?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the final chapter. We hope it was enjoyed. If you have any scenarios or prompts for this AU, feel free to message one of us or comment! We very much had fun on this fic, and had a ton more ideas, but found it was getting far too long.

Time passed quickly, and changed a surprising number of things in that rapid pass, Frenzy thought. Rumble, for example, was more or less at the point that he was _glad_ they had found Rapture, just because of how things were now. Frenzy was pretty much of the same opinion, and not only because they were currently getting ready to visit Spike and Carly, and their new daughter, in what had become a weekly visit. They had also gotten to know some of the other Rapture survivors, though the group of farmers had remained just as generally unwelcoming as ever, and he was willing to leave them to their lives.

Mikeala was in her tree when they arrived, Spike standing below the branch, watching her. He didn’t immediately notice them, _or_ he didn’t care. “I know they’re pretty, but leave the birds eggs alone, okay?” he said. 

“Will we have baby birds later?” the young girl asked, climbing to a different branch. She looked down, then spotted them, grinning toothily. “Uncles are here!” 

“First, yes, we will. Second, yes, I just told you that they’d be here soon,” Spike answered, laughing at her, and her instant struggle to get out of the tree as quickly as possible. 

“Hey there, ‘Keala,” Rumble greeted, chuckling a little and waiting for the girl to get to them on her own. She didn’t bear that many traces of her time in Rapture, skin taking easily to the sun and appetite taking happily to whatever Carly or Spike made, or okayed, for her.

“We have birds, an’ they made a nest, and made pretty rocks, an’ we’re gonna have babies!” Mikeala cheerily informed him, dropping from the lowest branch and running to wrap her arms around his leg, while Frenzy waited for his turn. Mikeala never had been frightened of them, only a little shy, and it was really quite sweet now.

“Eggs, sweety, they laid eggs, not rocks,” Spike corrected gently, but with good humor as she giggled- showing that she knew very well that they weren’t rocks- and moved to hug Frenzy next. 

“What’s the difference?” Rumble asked with a huff, but teasing. 

Mikeala giggled, then did her best to start climbing Frenzy as Spike rolled his eyes at the question. “Edibility?” he answered back, teasing in return. 

“Pretty sure I’ve seen your kids eat rocks,” Rumble answered, as Frenzy held himself in such a way as to let Mikeala climb him better. She liked climbing, which had made Eleanor laugh when they’d told her. So far, as far as Frenzy knew, Spike and Carly hadn’t asked for much help- but things were still pretty new with the little family, and Frenzy found it really interesting how quickly they had _become_ a family.

“Eating something and it _being_ edible are two different things,” Spike said with a laugh. He took a step towards the house, and seemed to be entertained by the idea that Rumble had watched children eat rocks. 

“Does this mean I can try and eat rocks?” Mikeala asked from where she’d found a perch. 

“No, no eating rocks. You aren’t a bird, are you?” Spike answered, though what he got in return was Mikeala squawking and flapping the arm not latched onto Frenzy. “See what you’ve done now,” he scolded jokingly. “You’ve turned our nice little kiddo into a _bird_. What are we going to do now?” 

“Build her a birdhouse?” Frenzy suggested, moving towards the house too. “Only I’m not sure you’d like one’a those, ‘Keala. Birds don’t eat cake and frosting and waffles and bacon… An’ I’m pretty sure they don’t sleep in beds. …’Cept Beaky and ‘Saw, but they’re not really birds…” And also didn’t usually recharge in _beds_...

The girl frowned at the long list of things birds didn’t eat. “...What ‘bout dinosaurs? Grimlock has a bed!” she said, apparently giving up, mostly, on being a bird.

“But Grimlock isn’t really a dinosaur, is he? And you can’t eat nothing but raw meat or ferns, _or_ energon, can you?” Spike asked. “Sorry sweety, you’re a boring human like me.” He flashed a smile, and Mikeala giggled. 

“You’re not _that_ boring,” she said, before looking thoughtful, and probably mulling over food again. “If I have to be human, can I have a cookie?” 

Spike hummed, looking thoughtful in an over exaggerated way. “ _Well,_ , if it’s _so_ horrible being our species, I _suppose_ you may have a cookie to make up for that.” 

“I dunno, Spike. It’s not _all_ bad being your species. I mean, your self-repair is great. And your hands…” Rumble said, trying to tease.

Frenzy resisted the urge to do anything more than poke Rumble over the bond and add, “Yeah. You give good massages. It’s a lot easier when y’can reach the cablin’... _An’_ , you can eat cookies. We can’t…”

Looking _distressed_ over the lack of cookie-eating, Mikeala hugged Frenzy’s arm. “But we made you cookies, special!” she said. Looking at Spike, she froze. “Oh. That was the surprise, wasn’t it? I’m sorry...” 

“It’s okay, sweety,” Spike answered, laughing as they made it into the house, and Carly appeared in the doorway. 

“I was wondering what was taking you so long,” she said. 

“We turned your daughter inta a bird, an’ had t’turn her back,” Rumble explained, going up and hugging Carly as they had learned she liked.

Frenzy chuckled a little at Mikeala, and patted her head. “Well, I’m sure if you and your dad made ‘em, we can figure out how t’eat ‘em. Hello, Carly. Bro’s right, we had to make ‘Keala human again.” He grabbed the girl and swung her off his shoulder while she laughed at the motion.

“Oh, I see.” Carly hummed back, pressing into the hug. “Well, thank you for turning her back.” She smiled at Spike, kissing him on the cheek when their hug ended and he got close. It was still fascinating to see them interact in a fashion much closer to bonded mechs, now that there wasn’t danger, and they _trusted_ the Cassettes. 

Spike chuckled. “Well, at the very least, yes, we have goodies for you guys, for once. But we had help in making them.” 

“Y’know you don’t need ta make us goodies. With or without help,” Frenzy pointed out, as Mikeala ran towards the kitchen. He also didn’t address the fact that he and Rumble had a little store of Spike and Carly’s favorite sweets on the _Nemesis_ , even though the humans almost never visited there. Decepticons were more welcome, now, to try building on the surface, but Soundwave wasn’t quite ready to leave, and so the cassettes didn’t leave either. And Rumble, picking up on the earlier thoughts about the couple, pulled Frenzy closer before they made their way to the couch.

“We know, but we wanted to,” Carly answered, smiling. “We’ve been bad hosts, you know. It’s proper to have treats for guests. Although, you’re more family than guest…” she mused on it while Spike slipped from the room and brought back a square glass container, very similar to the ones that were used by Autobot and Decepticons to store solid energon. Inside it, little stacks of round solid flat wafers sat. Spike looked incredibly proud of them. 

Rumble chuckled at Spike’s expression, and took one of the wafers when Spike offered the cube. “Wow. Ain’t seen things that look like this… for a while…” he said, examining the wafer, and ignoring Mikeala’s impatience. 

“Yeah. An’ when we do, usually give ‘em to the birds…” Frenzy agreed, also taking one. “Don’t worry, though, Carly. Like you said, we’re more family…” He shrugged a little, ducking into Rumble’s hold, before trying the solid energon.

“Ooh, this is good, bro!” Rumble said, taking advantage of the fact they didn’t _technically_ need to talk with their mouths. His voice sounded more than a little weird, though.

Grinning, Carly shook her head, while Spike moved the tray closer to Frenzy, then set it down near them when the mech had grabbed one. They didn’t seem disturbed by the change in voice, though Mikeala narrowed her eyes slightly, until Frenzy bit into a wafer of his own, and she cheered. “Do you like them?” she asked. 

“Let them finish eating, first,” Carly teased. “Anyway, we wanted to. We were thinking about asking if Soundwave had decided to come up, yet. But if not, we could visit?”

Finishing his first treat, Rumble chuckled, and spoke normally. They didn’t like to upset Mikeala! “Boss ain’t ready t’leave yet. Think I told ya, _Nemesis_ got one a’ those Daddies… Just seems t’want to fix the ship, an’ we’re inclined ta let him. Tenenbaum an’ Eleanor say it’s safe- anyway. Boss wants ta keep an’ optic on ‘im.”

Frenzy swallowed as well, smiling. “We’re okay with it. You can… visit if ya wanna, guess… An’ yes, ‘Keala, the treats are good. _I_ like ‘em, least.”

Perking considerably, the young human smiled. “Yay!” she cheered. “I’m glad. Cookies are the best.” 

“The last time they were here, I thought cupcakes were the best,” Spike said. He laughed when she pouted, then climbed up between Rumble and Frenzy. 

“That was last week,” she said. “Now, we can share cookies, so they’re the best.” 

Rumble laughed, patting Mikeala. “That makes sense. What’s it- ya got a sayin’, don’t ya? Bout… sharing is caring?”

“Yup!” the girl agreed, grinning broadly. Of course she couldn’t exactly ‘share’ their cookies, but details like that didn’t seem to bother her, and Frenzy thought it was because she understood the bigger picture better. On the other hand, he didn’t spend all that much time with human children, usually!

“We should visit,” Carly said, dragging them back to the question, and offer, of before. “I think it will be okay.” She sat on the edge of the couch, smiling, and they were reminded of the warning that either human might panic if brought back to any place under water. That hadn’t happened, but the warning from Ratchet had stuck. 

Rumble reached for another wafer-cookie before answering. “You could, but you don’ have to,” he said. “We don’ mind being up here.” 

“Yeah, but that’s not fair,” Spike said, glancing at Carly. 

Frenzy shrugged a little, glancing at Rumble. “I mean, y’can. Sibs would like ta see ya- An’ I think Reflector would like to show you their pictures- if you’re up to it. Just… let us know if you’re havin’... any problems…?”

“Of course,” Spike answered, nodding. “Oh, ah… Mikeala, didn’t you want to show them your doll? How about you go make it look nice?”

The young human giggled then rushed from the room, leaving them for a few clicks. “Any word from the islanders?” she asked. Rumble made a face at the question about the former-Rapture residents rescued from the city, then shrugged. 

“Well, they’re alive,” he said. 

Spike gave a soft sigh of relief. “Not causing trouble?”

“No,” Frenzy answered. “And we’ve been keepin’ track, too.”

“Good. Though I never thought you wouldn’t…” Spike answered. “I… _do_ understand that we couldn’t leave them, but… Well.”

Rumble nodded a little, and Frenzy agreed. Morally, the rescue had been needed, but none of the Decepticons were really _happy_ with the risk- then again, they weren’t the most happy with so many former Adam-users running around, either. Especially the ones they hadn’t met very much…

The mood was rescued by Mikeala running down the stairs, grinning and holding something. Despite the fact that she was the one who was the _most_ dangerous, here, Rumble and Frenzy both broke into wide grins as she came over. Mikeala wasn’t going to hurt them, and was perfectly sweet too!

“‘Keala, remember to be careful on the stairs,” Carly ‘scolded’ the young human, though it wasn’t really a true scolding.

Only pausing in her grinning to nod at Carly, Mikeala thrust the doll at them, “I couldn’t find the perfect colors for yous, but I tried!” she declared. It was a rather large thing, and very bulky, squared- Rumble needed way too much time to realize it was a _mech_ , or at least a Cybertronian. 

“Oh. Is this… us?” Frenzy asked, while Rumble was still looking at the doll. Only they never really had yellow on them… “It’s okay that ya couldn’t find the right colors… Bro’ an’ I change our paint sometimes,” he added, trying to make Mikeala feel better.

“I think it’s cute,” Rumble said, reaching to see if she’d let him hold the doll. It was _horribly_ made, really, with clumsy stitching and haphazard placement of _everything_ , but that just… meant that Mikeala had _made it_. And that was sweet.

The young human beamed, then delicately handed it over. “One of the other sisters said that everyone should have a protector doll. But I didn’t want any of the ones they had.” She looked at Carly, then grinned. “You guys are betterer!” 

“Much better,” Spike agreed, teasing the young girl. 

“Oh, did she…?” Rumble asked, optics flickering just a little. Of course they both remembered how the Sisters saw them, but… “Well, of course we’re gonna say we’re betterer than anyone else!”

“‘Cept maybe th’ Boss. But he’s _ours_ ,” Frenzy teased, taking the doll and looking over it after his brother. “The doll is very nice. Do ya sleep with it?”

Mikeala nodded, smiling toothily again. “Of course!” She took it back when it was offered to her by Frenzy, tucking her arms around it in a hug. “He keeps bad dreams away. But you can borrow him tonight.” 

Spike stifled a laugh at the look of surprise that Rumble knew he had on his face. “That’s if you want to stay a couple days again. We were going to ask.”

“You can keep him. Bro’ an’ I got each other,” Frenzy answered, patting Rumble as well. “...’Less your parents are willin’ ta let us extend th’ sleepover…” He glanced at Spike, nodding a little. They’d be happy to stay a couple days, and if the first night had Mikeala sleeping with them, that wasn’t a problem. It would be really nice if Spike and Carly joined them- it didn’t happen much, and that was fine, but it was nice when it happened.

“We’d like that,” Carly answered, looking quite happy by the prospect. 

Mikeala cheered, then absolutely lit up ask Spike stood and offered his hand to her. “Come on, then. Let’s get blankets for a pillow and blanket fort, yeah?” They disappeared a click later, and Rumble vented as he shook his head, amused. He squawked when a pillow hit him on the return, and any semblance of discussion dissolved into a ‘fight’ of pillows and shrieking from Mikeala. 

Later, when the young human was in recharge, and they were cycling down, Carly and Spike did join them, curling close for quiet talk, family.


End file.
